


I've Been Quiet For Too Long

by tigermochaeyu



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, i genuinely don't know what to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 10:49:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16785466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigermochaeyu/pseuds/tigermochaeyu
Summary: inspired by Silence by Marshmello and Khalid





	I've Been Quiet For Too Long

**Author's Note:**

> this is an ANCIENT draft that i wrote like a YEAR ago, so you can tell that my writing style is less mature than it is now. the ending is slightly rushed since i just wanted it finished so i could post it per tiffatologist yelling at me for it. there's some mentions of trauma and racism and homophobia so please read carefully babies. i hope you enjoy my ancient bullshit lmao
> 
> (i barely proofread this so if there are edit notes in here let me know so i can erase them lmao)

Trini keeps her head down low as she wanders through the halls of the science building, her new schedule in hand as she nods her head softly to the music pounding in her headphones. No one pays her any mind, that's the beauty of college. A luxury she couldn't afford in high school. Her eyes wander across the marble floor as she walks, taking note of the random water damage stains in the tile as she curves left, entering the lecture hall with a soft exhale of breath.

Her eyes pan over the class, eventually landing on a short haired brunette in the second row, a little startled to find that her eyes are already on Trini. Being the social recluse that she is, Trini gives her an awkward half smile, raising her fingers just barely in greeting, before climbing the large, shallow steps to the top of the lecture hall. She plops down next to her best friend, pausing her music before pulling her headphones down around her neck.

"Hi Trini," is the first thing she hears, turning to see the one and only Billy Cranston smiling down at her before returning his eyes to the trinket in front of him. Billy and Trini had met senior year of high school in the Angel Grove gold mines, an accidental explosion on Billy's part bringing the two of them together. While Trini adamantly scolded him for being an idiot and attracting the attention of mine security, she helped him get out of there as fast as possible. The next day at school, Billy smiled and offered her to sit with him at lunch, knowing she always sat alone outside because of the bullies. The rest was history.

Trini smiles at her companion, eyes flickering down to the contraption on his notebook. "Got another bomb, Lil Bill?" She asks, a hint of tease to her voice. The boy beside her shakes his head, adamantly making sure she knows he means them no harm.

"Not a bomb. I promised you I'd stop intentionally making explosives after that one time in my garage. Which I'm still sorry for," Billy states, his eyes still trained on his device. Trini hums in acknowledgement, subconsciously running her fingers across the scars along her neck. 

She remembers that day, when Billy made a strange device he called R.I.T.A., which apparently stood for Recreational Iodized Torpedo of Annihilation. Basically, Billy tried to make a salt bomb with a terrible name to use at the mines, planned on using it to find more things his dad told him about, but it went off prematurely. Trini spent a solid few days in the hospital and her mom tried to get her to stop hanging out with Billy.

You can see how well that turned out.

"I'm trying to make something for my friend," Billy says while Trini is distracted, pulling her out of her stupor. Quickly, Trini hides any trace of negative emotion, not wanting to make Billy feel any worse about that day than he still does. Replacing her thoughtful face with a smirk, she tilts her head to the side, nudging him with her shoulder. 

"I thought I was your only friend," she jokes. She can see in Billy's face that he doesn't get it at first, about to explain that of course he has other friends, that she's met them. But then he looks at her with that face he gets when he understands social cues or gets an A on a test, clapping his hands slightly.

"I got the joke!" He whispers excitedly, and Trini can't help but smile widely at him. She nods with a small laugh, clapping him on the shoulder very quickly so that he doesn't get uncomfortable. That's what made their friendship easy; they both understood boundaries, were quick to tell one another when they were upset or uncomfortable. It made things simple and it made their bond stronger than any Trini has ever had in the past.

Trini's eyes are attracted to movement in her peripherals, watching the teacher walk through the door with a small greeting. But then she notices, down in the second row, the short haired brunette with pretty eyes looking between her and Billy. Trini's eyebrows knot in confusion when the girl locks eyes with her, her eyes widening in shock as she whips her head back to the front to avoid Trini's own.

"Hey Billy, who is that girl? In the second row?" Trini whispers, knowing that Billy doesn't like distractions during the lecture so she's trying to ask before the teacher starts talking. Billy's brows furrow as he looks down, a look of realization gracing his face as his eyes land on the girl in question. He turns to Trini and leans in close, pointing to the girl.

"That's Kimberly Hart," he says, like it's something Trini should know. Apparently she should, because Billy looks at her expectantly before saying, "She was a cheerleader at Angel Grove High? She sent that nude picture of Amanda Clark to Ty Flemming who sent it to everyone which made everyone sort of resent Kimberly Hart and then she cut her hair off in the girl's bathroom?"

"How do you know she cut her hair off in the girl's bathroom?" Trini whispers, a hint of playful teasing in her voice. "Did you blow up one of the stalls in there, too?"

Billy shakes his head. "Remember when I had detention for blowing up my lunchbox? She was there. She came in at the beginning with long hair, went to the bathroom, and came back with short hair."

Trini tilts her head like a confused puppy, her eyes trained on the back of Kimberly Hart's head as her mind swirls with thoughts. She's about to ask Billy another question, like why the hell did the girl in the second row with pretty eyes pull a revenge porn, but the teacher starts to talk and she knows she won't get another word out of him until the next hour and twenty five minutes pass.

-

Trini follows Billy after class to his apartment, sitting on his couch like it's her own house. Because in reality, it almost is. She's here so often, her own roommate being a pain in the ass between her one night stands and drunkenly stumbling back into the apartment late at night, that the dark blue couch is like her second bed. Billy sits in the chair next to the couch, pulling his project from before their shared lecture out of his backpack and placing it on his coffee table, diving directly back into his work like he had never left it.

"You never told me what this thing is," Trini pokes the thing on the table with her pencil as she pulls out her homework for english, internally groaning at the prospect of having to psychoanalyze the novel ‘Frankenstein’ and how Victor Frankenstein is a huge crybaby bitch. Billy looks up at her briefly before looking back down, hands constantly moving.

"My friend needs a really sturdy leg brace because he was in a bad car accident," Billy explains. "You probably remember him from high school. Jason Scott?" Trini hums in agreement, because she does remember hearing about him from her parents as they read the paper. Her mom, naturally, had plenty to say about the incident involving Jason Scott, golden boy quarterback, and a one ton cow at their rival high school. She remembers seeing the picture of the wreck, remembers wincing at how bad the truck looked flipped on its top. "The accident he was in hurt his leg really bad, he can't walk very well without his brace."

"So what does that have to do with this here?" Trini asks, tapping Billy's project with her pencil once again.

"I offered to try and make him a lighter and sturdier brace, and he seemed very happy for the offer. Although he did hug me, which he was quick to apologize when I told him to stop," Billy says, his brows furrowed slightly as he recollected the event before going back to his new brace for Jason. Trini can feel herself getting mad, but she knows it's not Jason's fault that he didn't know about Billy's dislike for non consensual touch. The two of them have been friends for years and even Trini slips up sometimes.

"Trini?" Billy asks, Trini shaking her head of her thoughts before turning her attention to her best friend. "Do you want to come with me later to see Jason? I have to get measurements of his leg and his old brace." Trini knows she doesn't have to go, that even if she said no Billy would never hold it against her. But she can never say no to Billy Cranston.

"Yeah sure," she nods, a small smile on her face. "But only if we can get Krispy Kreme because I'm dying for a coffee to get me through this paper." Billy brightens immediately, claps his hands excitedly in that way that only Billy can, making Trini smile even wider. No more words are spoken between the two friends, the only sounds filling the apartment being the turning of paper, the slight clang of metal, and Billy's old country music.

-

The ding of the door above her head makes Trini smile slightly, the sound triggering a relaxed and happy response in the shorter girl. The amount of hours she's spent in this Krispy Kreme over the years, whether it be with Billy catching up on the days they don't share classes or by herself when she's cramming for a test, is a disgustingly high amount. The cashiers know her and Billy by name and order, always smile when they see them because the best friends are always extra nice, always tip well.

By the time they reach the front of the line, the cashier smiles and already has them rung up, prompting them to pay and walk down to the end of the counter where their orders are already made and ready to go. Billy claps happily, grabbing his muffin and hot chocolate before making his way to the corner towards a blonde haired, blue eyed boy with a textbook open in front of him. Trini chuckles at the look on his face as he reads, a look that screams 'what the fuck' and 'help me' simultaneously. Quickly she trudges behind Billy, plopping down in the seat besides him, and watches the blue eyed boy look up in surprise.

"Oh, hey Billy!" He greets with a wide smile, turning to Trini immediately after. "You must be Trini," he says with a smaller, more gentle smile, extending his hand for Trini to take and shake in greeting. The confused look on her face must show that she has no idea how he knows her name, a look of realization dawning his own as he explains, "Billy talks about you a lot. It only made sense that it was you with him. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Aw, getting soft on me, Lil Bill?" Trini asks in a teasing tone, Jason smiling as he watches the two of them interact. Trini turns back to Jason, grinning again at him, "Sorry, it's nice to meet you too." He waves her off, says she has no reason to apologize, before returning his gaze to Billy. Billy already knows what he's going to ask, immediately pulls a flexible ruler out of his pocket, like the long ones fashion designers have. Trini chuckles, always amazed at how Billy is prepared for every single situation.

"I'm gonna measure your leg so I can make sure I make the new brace with the correct dimensions. Is that okay?" Billy asks Jason, making sure he has consent before touching the other boy. Trini admires Billy so much for his consistent concern and care for others, masking her warm smile by shoving her donut into her mouth. Jason blushes slightly but nods, Billy immediately kneeling down to get a better vantage of Jason's knee.

"So, Trini," Jason says, trying to dispel the awkwardness he probably feels with Billy beneath the table measuring his leg. Trini makes a mental note of the blush on the blue eyed boy's face, making sure to save that information later, before humming in acknowledgement. "How did you and Billy meet?"

"He blew up the mountain I was standing on and I helped him escape mine security," Trini shrugs, biting back the urge to laugh at the look of surprise on Jason's face. "What, you knew he was accident prone. You had detention with him back then, didn't you?"

Jason bites back a smile, very unsuccessfully, but nods in agreement. "Yeah, yeah Billy is definitely the type to accidentally destroy things." Trini can vaguely hear Billy complaining under the table, but the blush on Jason's face tells her that it was funny to Billy.

The ding of the door to Krispy Kreme catches Trini's attention, turning to see Kimberly Hart, the pretty eyed girl from the second row of her History lecture, entering Krispy Kreme with a hesitant look on her face. Trini's eyebrows furrow together, watching the taller girl with a curious gaze. Jason notices, following her eyes to see where she's looking when his mouth forms an 'o' in realization.

"Kimberly Hart," he states, sounds almost stunned in a way. Trini nods in agreement. "I'm surprised to see her here, honestly." That catches Trini's attention, has her turning to face the blonde boy, prompting him to explain. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, like it's not his story to tell, but he makes eye contact with Trini and asks, "You heard about the Amanda thing, right?"

"Very recently, yeah," Trini nods. Jason looks away from her and towards Kimberly once again, motioning to the brunette with his thumb before turning back to Trini.

"After Kimberly 'fell from grace' I guess, she adopted this rebel without a cause attitude. Stopped giving a fuck what people thought of her and just lived her life. It was helpful, considering Amanda turned half of the school against her. God, the shit they wrote on her locker.." Jason trails off, and Trini can tell he's still upset about it, no matter how many years it's been.

Trini turns to look at Kimberly, who's now made it to the cash register. She watches as the cashier asks what she would like, watches Kimberly hesitate slightly before pulling a small piece of paper out her pocket, sliding it across the counter. The cashier takes it with a hesitant look on her face, reading the note before asking Kimberly if she would like anything else. The short haired brunette shakes her head, pays for her food, and waits at the other end of the counter without saying a word.

"Did you see that?" Trini asks quietly, leaning into the table to make sure only Jason can hear her. He nods almost sadly, his eyes softening with concern as he looks back over to Kimberly, who's gotten her food and is making her way to a table near the front of the restaurant, sitting alone and eating her slice of cake in silence.

"Something happened during senior year," Jason fills the silence between them. "No one really knows what besides Kimberly and whoever else was involved. I'm assuming it was Amanda, because it would just make sense. But ever since then, Kimberly just.. stopped talking."

Trini's brows scrunch in confusion and disbelief. "What do you mean, 'stopped talking'?"

"I mean, I haven't heard her talk in over three years. I don't think anyone has," Jason says sadly, shrugging his shoulders to indicate that that's all he really knows. Trini leans back in her chair, crossing her arms as she lets her mind mull over the information she's just gathered. Billy pops back up from the ground with a paper covered in measurements and a smile on his face. Jason smiles right back at him, the two engaging in small conversation.

Trini decides to be reckless and impulsive for once in her life, asking Billy if she can borrow his pen before taking it and walking up to the counter. Grabbing a few napkins, she writes something on the one on top of the pile, before making her way over to where Kimberly is seated. Despite the nerves thrumming through her body, she takes a deep breath and takes the seat across from Kimberly.

The taller girl's eyes widen in shock and fear, and Trini can tell she's trying to think of possible ways to escape. It's the same look Trini used to always have in her eyes before she met Billy. Taking a deep breath and leap of faith, she places the note and the pen on the table, scooting it across the surface to place in front of Kimberly.

_ Hey, I'm Trini _ , the note reads. Trini can see the furrow of Kimberly's eyebrows as she looks between the note and the shorter girl sitting across from her. Trini takes the napkin back, scribbling a few words onto it before sliding it back.

_ Saw you sitting alone, figured you could use some company _ , the next note reads. Trini watches Kimberly's face soften slightly, looking up at Trini with what looks like a hint of a smile on her lips, before taking the pen and scribbling down her own note.

_ I'm Kimberly, nice to meet you,  _ it reads. Trini smiles, thankful that Kimberly is playing along with her little game. Quickly, she scribbles down another note, sliding it across the table, Kimberly immediately reading it and prompting Trini to give her back the pen.

_ Why are you sitting all alone? _ Trini had asked. Not just to make conversation, but because she genuinely wants to know why a girl like her is so alone and so seemingly hurt and damaged. But the deep stuff would have to wait, because Kimberly begins sliding the note back.

_ Why aren't you trying to talk to me? Like, actually talk _ , it reads. Trini frowns slightly, a little saddened at the idea that so many people probably tried to get Kimberly to talk, to pull her out of a comfort zone she's probably not ready to leave. She's quick to write the next response, knows exactly what she wants to say, before sliding the note back to Kimberly.

_ I heard you're not the talking type, wanted to make you feel comfortable _ , she writes. Trini feels her heart expand at the smile that breaks out on Kimberly's face. The taller girl looks up at Trini, smiling in a way that's almost thankful, before writing down another response.

_ Thank you _ , is all it says. Trini looks up to look Kimberly in the eyes, smiling as she nods, so she knows that Kimberly can tell that she means it. The buzz of Kimberly's phone breaks their eye contact, the taller girl sighing almost disappointedly as she reads the text on her screen. Quickly, she beckons for Trini to give her the pen back, writing down a quick note before standing and giving Trini a small smile and a wave, heading for the exit and walking out into the night.

_ Text me _ , it reads with a number beside it. Trini can't stop the smile that spreads on her face when she reads the note, working on autopilot as she stands and walks back to the table she was originally at with the boys, not noticing their expectant looks (and smug smiles on Jason's end). She looks up when she sits down, notices them staring at her, and asks defensively, "What?"

"What were you doing with Kimberly Hart?" Billy asks, ever the curious type as he stares at Trini, no doubt taking note of the blush on her face and the remnants of the smile that had previously been on her face. Trini rolls her eyes, pulling her phone out so she can enter the number in her contacts.

"We were just talking, no big deal," Trini shrugs, pressing the 'Message' button so that Kimberly will have her number as well. She types a message and deletes it about five times, before settling with a decent message that doesn't seem like she's trying too hard. She smiles to herself despite the eyes on her, locking her phones and setting it on the table.

"I just told you Kimberly doesn't talk," Jason says, like Trini somehow forgot in the last ten minutes. "So it's kind of a big deal if she talked to you." Trini shakes her head, flashing the boys the napkins covered in handwriting before stuffing them in her pockets indignantly.

"We wrote notes. I didn't want to be a douche and try to make her talk," Trini explains, Jason smiling smugly at her once again while Billy nods in understanding, even though he doesn't fully understand what he's supposed to be understanding. Trini flips off Jason but ends up smiling, finishing her donut and ignoring the way her coffee is cold but her chest is warm.

-

Jason ends up becoming a sort of staple in her friendship with Billy. Normally Trini would feel threatened, feel like whoever was her best friend's new friend was trying to take them away from her. But Jason always includes Trini, always helps her with her homework in subjects she just can't grasp the concept of. It's like instead of losing her best friend to someone else, she's gaining another one.

And Jason is such a welcome addition to their dynamic, the three of them harboring such unique traits that it makes their friendship flow easily. Jason has a natural pull to him, like he could command a whole room to do something with a few choice words and everyone would do so without question, almost eagerly. 

Billy is calm and calculated almost 24/7, his mind constantly running algorithms on how certain situations could play out. The boy is a damn genius, Trini always knew, but Jason has this way of bringing Billy down to earth in a way she never could that it makes her feel relieved. It's such a nice change to see Billy completely relaxed, not letting his brain work so hard as he and Jason play frisbee or something equally sports related.

Trini herself has always been the most observant. She could sit in a room full of people and know a decent amount about all of them by the time she left just by watching. It was how she survived high school; always knowing when to avoid her locker or when to say something just by watching, by listening, by paying attention. Jason has this 'do now, think later' attitude to him, one that gets him in trouble more often than not, and Trini is the one to bring him down to her level. She knows what battle to fight and they'll gladly help each other fight them when they're ready.

So Jason ends up staying around, and Trini is more than happy about it. She might pretend she hates people with her resting bitch face almost always in tact, but it's nice to come into Billy's apartment and see Jason on the couch, watching reruns of Futurama on Netflix. Trini will just smile, drop her backpack by the door, and plop down next to him. He'll wordlessly offer her the remote, a silent gesture meaning that he'll watch whatever she wants to watch if she wants to change it, and she'll always decline, opting to laugh at stupid cartoons with the blue eyed boy.

Billy will show up a little later sometimes, won't even bat an eyelash at the two people on his couch, and will ask what they want for dinner. It's so domestic in a way that Trini has never really gotten to experience, what with her parents (mostly her mother) being giant assholes and all, that Trini tends to hug the two boys more often than she'll admit, trying to express her gratitude in a way her words can't.

It also turns out that the three of them have a class together, something Billy failed to reveal to Trini. Their physics lecture hall is a disgustingly large class led by a disgustingly incompetent man who thinks he's funny. Trini will laugh at his jokes sometimes out of pity, which is probably why the teacher likes her and only her. Trini is confused as to how she never saw Jason in there before and asks as they head to class.

"I tend to sit by the window," he reveals, "way away from where you two sit in the back. I like to give off that dramatic music video vibe as I stare out the window and not pay attention to the professor." Trini laughs freely at that, knowing exactly what he means when he says 'music video vibe'. Billy asks Jason to come sit with them and the blue eyed boy agrees without hesitation. Trini can't figure it out just yet, but she thinks Jason is whipped for Billy.

Forty five minutes into the lecture and Trini wants to slam her head against the table. She swears this teacher could lull anyone to sleep with his near robotic tone of voice, and Jason has had to poke her shoulder more than once to wake her up. She's more than thankful she's sat between the boys right now so that they can keep her on track.

Though at one point, she does lay her head on the table, content to wallow in her own despair. Jason doesn't even bother trying to wake her up and Trini has never been more thankful. Just as her eyelids grow heavy, nearly falling asleep against the tabletop in front of her, her phone buzzes in her pocket. A confused expression takes over Trini's face because the only two people she texts are right next to her, so why the hell would they text her? Grabbing her phone, she slides it open to see the message, her jaw dropping slightly in shock.

**Kimberly: Pick your head up before you get a giant red mark on your forehead**

Trini looks up, immediately wide awake, trying to search the mass of students for the girl with pretty eyes who apparently shares this class with her. The two hadn't gotten the chance to really text much other than confirming they had each other's numbers over the last two weeks. Trini's sort of amazed Kimberly even remembered her, but when her phone buzzes again, she can't help but smile slightly.

**Kimberly: Second row near the door, like always**

Trini looks down the lecture hall to the right, finding a pair of brown eyes looking at her with a small smirk on her lips. Trini smiles a little more than before, shaking her head as she makes eye contact with Kimberly. Quickly, before the professor or the guys can notice, she shoots Kimberly a quick text before locking her phone.

**Trini: wanna go get food after class?**

She watches Kimberly look down at her phone, biting her bottom lip to suppress the smile that is no doubt trying to bloom on her face. The short haired girl looks back up at Trini, nods slightly in agreement, and goes back to listening to the professor drone about concave mirrors. Trini can't stop the victorious smile on her face, and it garners the attention of Jason.

"Quit flirting with Kimberly and pay attention so at least one of us has comprehensible notes," he teases, smile evident in his voice. Trini knows what he means; the way Billy writes his notes is almost like a foreign language to the two of them, so one of them has to take decent notes to actually know what's going on. Then she actually catches what he had said at the beginning, and looks at him with almost frantic eyes.

"Woah wait I'm not-" she tries, but Jason places a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly to quiet her. He smiles, the smile he gives her and Billy when he wants them to feel comfortable with him, and leans in to whisper against her ear.

"We can have that talk later, yeah?" He says, like he knows that Trini will be frantic about that topic. Which is true, because she wasn't flirting with Kimberly. She was just asking if she wanted to get food. That's not flirting.. right? Trini's head feels like it might implode but another squeeze on her shoulder brings her back to earth, Jason giving her a look of understanding before turning back to the front of the room, penciling down a few notes about convex lenses. Trini shakes off her thoughts, trying her best to get through the lecture without having an existential crisis about her friendship with Kimberly.

-

Trini is quick to pack up her notebook and laptop once class ends, ignoring the smirk Jason is giving her in her peripheral vision. This is one of the only times she wishes Jason wasn't around, because he catches things Billy normally doesn't. Normani Trini could just tell Billy she was going somewhere with someone and he would nod and smile, saying he would see her at his apartment later. But with Jason here, he knows something is up, is ready to tease her for it, and she's not about to deal with his teasing and her internal meltdown at the same time.

"I'll meet you guys later at Billy's, yeah?" She says to them. Billy nods immediately, telling her to be safe and have a nice day in a way that makes Trini's heart melt. Jason smiles at her, a non-teasing one this time, pulling her into a hug before telling her to stay safe and call him if she needs him. It's almost brotherly in the way he says it, and Trini can't help but give him another quick hug before bounding down the shallow stairs towards the door.

She catches Kimberly waiting for her outside of the door, a smile appearing on her face when Trini enters her field of vision. Trini smiles too, motioning for Kimberly to follow her down the hall towards the university's food court. No words are spoken for a few steps, no words are needed, but Trini feels like she should fill the silence.

"I was thinking we could get some food and go somewhere outside instead of the food court," Trini explains. "Too much noise in there, you know?" Kimberly nods beside her, but Trini catches the conflicted look on her face. The shorter girl stops the two of them, being sure to look Kimberly in the eye when she says, "Don't worry, I don't want you to talk if you don't want to. I've got a notebook you can use and I'll talk enough for the both of us. Sound good?"

Kim's entire demeanor seems to relax, an emotion Trini can't pinpoint flashing across the taller girl's eyes. She nods, a small but grateful smile on her face, and Trini can't help but mirror it. Gesturing with a nod of her head towards the food court, the two continue their journey. Trini asks Kimberly to text her what she wants to eat before they get there so Trini can order for her. It's obvious no one has ever been so understanding of the girl beside her, because Trini can tell she doesn't exactly know what to do now that someone actually cares. Trini's phone buzzes in her pocket, laughing slightly at Kimberly's order, before nodding and heading off to get it for her.

They find a spot by a tree outside, hiding them from the California sun and separating them from the wild volume inside. Kimberly had texted Trini multiple times in all caps that she didn't need to pay for her order, but Trini insisted, telling her it was her idea to get food so she'll pay for it. She ignores the part of her that's screaming that it feels a little bit like a date in lieu of getting to know more about the girl beside her.

"So, miss mysterious," Trini smirks, Kimberly looking up at her confusedly with half of a burrito in her mouth. The sight makes Trini laugh, Kimberly smacking her in the shoulder to get her to shut up before continuing. "What do you want to know?"

Kimberly looks thrown off, like she was expecting Trini to ask about her, about why she refuses to talk anymore, like she wasn't expecting Trini to bare her soul to Kimberly instead. After a few seconds of silence, Kimberly takes the pen and paper Trini offered to her, writing down a few things before handing it to Trini.

_ Where are you from? _ , the first line reads, then _ Is yellow your favorite color because I always see you in it _ .

"I'm originally from the Inglewood/Moreno Valley area," Trini starts, "but because of my dad's job and some other.. things, we moved around a lot. It wasn't until senior year of high school that my parents settled in Angel Grove. I became best friends with Billy Cranston and the two of us ended up here together. And yes, yellow is my favorite color." Trini laughs at the silliness of Kimberly's last question, but the girl is furiously scribbling into the notebook before handing it back to Trini.

_ Angel Grove? So you knew me? _ , it reads. It's a weighted question, one filled with a level of hesitation. Like the answer with make or break Kimberly. She knows before she even looks at Kimberly that she's worried, the way she's gnawing on her bottom lip giving her away. Trini chooses her words carefully, not wanting to upset the girl beside her.

"I knew of you, yeah," Trini says, making sure to look at Kimberly as she speaks. "I recently heard about the shit that went down senior year. Well, some of it. But I never really  _ knew _ you, you know?" Kimberly nods, a little relieved but still a little tense, like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Trini gets it.

"But, I'd like to. If you'll let me," Trini says softly, noticing the barely masked surprise in Kimberly's eyes when she looks back at the short girl. "We all do some messed up shit, Kimberly. I'm not one to judge." Kimberly bites her lip, nodding once in response, before snatching the notebook back from Trini and writing something in it before handing it back.

_ Thank you, and call me Kim. _

-

Trini makes it back to Billy's apartment late in the afternoon. She insisted on walking Kim back to her dorm, ignoring the small flush of Kim's cheeks as they walked (Trini blamed it on the heat). She ignores the smug look on Jason's face as she drops her bag by the couch and sits down beside him, watching old Friends episodes with him instead of giving him the reaction he wants.

"So," Jason breaks the silence, Trini cursing under her breath knowing that she's going to get interrogated by the blue eyed boy. "How was hanging out with Kimberly?" His tone is suggestive in a way that makes Trini panic, makes her worried that he's assuming something that is completely untrue. He must be able to sense it, because he's leaning forward to grab the remote and pause the TV, turning to face the shorter girl with a serious look on his face. "Are you okay?"

Trini doesn't say anything, doesn't really know the answer to his question. Her eyes are trained on the mug stain on the coffee table in front of them as she shrugs, too scared to look at Jason and see something she doesn't want to see, see something she's seen in her parents eyes when her mom would beg her to find a nice boy to date. Jason scoots closer, placing a hand on top of Trini's and squeezing gently, prompting her to look at him.

"What's going on?" He asks softly, with so much concern and care in his voice that Trini can feel herself cracking in a way she hasn't let herself in a long time. She swallows thickly, can feel the panic rising in her chest, but Jason doesn't make her say anything. He just waits patiently, knowing she's going through something she needs to think about for herself first.

"I uh, I don't really know what's going on with me," Trini says in a small voice, ignoring the way it cracks because if she lets herself think about it she'll surely cry. "I've always been different, you know? My parents always wanted me to be normal because they're normal, almost  _ too _ normal." Jason nods, both in understanding and as a way to prompt Trini to continue. "They always wanted me to dress differently, talk more.." she pauses, a shaky breath, ignoring the tears forming in her eyes. "Have the kind of friends they wanted me to have, you know?"

Jason nods again, flipping Trini's palm so he could hold her hand with his own, to support her through what she's going through. Trini nearly breaks at the gesture, sniffling to hold the tears at bay. "I've uh.. I've never said any of this out loud before," she says, almost like a warning in a sense, but Jason understands.

"This doesn't leave us, I promise. Not until you're ready," he says, and Trini gives him a watery smile before taking a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Jason scoots a little closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his chest, leaning them both back against the couch. He turns on Friends for a few minutes, allowing Trini to calm down before asking, "So, do you like girls?"

"I don't know," Trini confesses honestly. "I've never really been in a position to try and figure out what my sexuality is. I just.. I don't know," she sighs almost frustratedly, Jason hugging her just a little tighter to calm her down.

"It's okay, you don't need to know everything right now," he says softly over the sound of the TV. "We're only 20, we don't need to have our shit together yet. Just know I'm here for you if you need anything or have any questions, yeah?" Trini looks up at him, a grateful look in her eyes, when she catches what he said at the end of his sentence.

"Wait, what do you mean 'if i have any questions'?" She asks, her brows furrowed together as she stares at him. Jason blushes, almost turning the color of his shirt, when it hits Trini. Her eyes widen almost comically, her jaw dropping to floor, making Jason blush even harder. Instead of saying anything, she just leans back into his embrace, wrapping an arm around his torso to give him an awkward side hug. "I fucking knew you had a thing for Billy."

Jason scoffs, like he's trying to convince both of them that Trini is just talking shit, but Trini hugs him a little tighter like he had with her, and mumbles, "Don't worry, you're perfect for him." She hears Jason hum in acknowledgement, his arm holding her just a little tighter once again, and Trini knows he needed to hear that from her.

-

Trini and Kim develop a sort of routine over the course of a few weeks as school moves into the fall months. On Tuesdays before History, the pair would meet up at Krispy Kreme and split a piece of cake with some coffee and head to class together, and on Thursdays after Physics they would go and get lunch together. It was an easy enough routine for them to learn about each other while not being overbearing. Trini would never admit that the first time she heard Kim laugh she felt an explosion of butterflies in her chest, she would never hear the end of it from Jason.

One Wednesday night, Trini takes a trip to Krispy Kreme to fuel her caffeine addiction and to get her through writing a paper on the complications of contracts within the music industry. She needs to actually get a good grade on this paper to get anywhere in her career field successfully, so she plans on being up all night researching. The cashier smiles when she stands at the counter, asks if she wants an extra shot of espresso in her coffee since she knows Trini is about to pull an all nighter, and Trini nods with enthusiasm. Paying for her drink, she makes her way towards the pick up counter, surprised to see Kim sitting in the corner.

But Kim isn't alone. There's a boy across from her; tall, asian, dark hair, well built from what Trini can tell. Kim isn't saying anything, naturally, but the boy across from her is talking so adamantly about something that Kim can't stop the smile on her face. Trini can't help it, the pang of jealousy she feels, and is about to turn and walk out when Kim sees her. Her smile grows, waving to the shorter girl and gesturing for her to come over there. The boy stops talking, looks at where Kim is looking, and grins like the Cheshire Cat when he sees she's looking at Trini.

"Hey Kim," Trini says when she reaches them, sitting in the chair beside the dark haired boy who won't stop grinning at her. Kim waves a little again, tucking a hair behind her ear shyly, then glares at the boy across from her when she catches the look on his face. He gasps in mock offense, placing his hand on his chest before saying, "Stop looking at me like I'm going to tell her you murdered your family or something, damn."

Trini feels it again, that pang of jealousy when she realizes how close the two of them are. How the boy can read Kim like a book but Trini is just barely turning the cover over. The boy turns back to her, however, putting his hand out for Trini to shake. "I'm Zack, nice to finally meet you," he smirks, Trini taking his hand tentatively.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Trini asks almost defensively, a little weirded out that first Jason and now this Zack kid knew who she was before she even knew they existed. Zack just smirks even more mischievously, using his thumb to gesture to where Kim is sitting, ignoring the glare plastered on the short haired brunette's face.

"This one won't shut up about you," he teases, adding, "metaphorically, of course. Always buried in her phone texting you about school stuff. It's kind of cute." He yelps when Kim hits him upside the head with the palm of her hand, her face blushing furiously at the truth he just admitted. Trini is blushing too, albeit for a much different reason than Kim, but decides to join in on the teasing.

"You like me or something, Hart?" She teases with her signature smirk on her face. Kim ducks, trying to hide the blush on her face, and Zack high fives Trini with an impressed hum. Trini feels her phone buzz in her lap, looks down and can't hide the smile on her face as she reads the text.

Kim: You're an asshole, you know that?

Trini laughs, ignoring Zack's eyes on her. He claps her on the shoulder with his large hand, shaking her slightly in some brotherly way that Jason tends to do with Trini as well. "I like her, Kimmy. We should keep her around," he says, and despite his teasing tone the shorter girl can tell he means it. Trini smiles shyly, both under Zack and Kim's gaze, and is startled slightly when she hears the cashier call her name.

"Well, I have to go bury myself under musical contracts and coffee mugs. I'll see you tomorrow, Kim?" Trini asks, despite knowing she will most definitely see the girl tomorrow after Physics. Kim nods, a warm smile on her face, and Trini makes her way to the counter to grab her drink. Just as she's about to exit the building, she feels a strong hand grip her shoulder, turning to see Zack towering above her.

"Hey, I know we just met, but I like you," he says seriously. "You've been super cool with Kim and I'm really glad she's got you." He hands her a small piece of paper, a combination of numbers written haphazardly on it. She looks over Zack's shoulder to see Kim with her face buried in her hands, clearly embarrassed. "That's my number. I'm here if you need anything, okay?"

Trini nods, smiling slightly at the taller guy above her. "Yeah uh.. thanks Zack," she mutters, raising the piece of paper in implication as she walks out of the door backwards. He smiles, giving her a soft nod before heading back over to Kim, watching with a small smile as Kim smacks him in the shoulder and glares at him like she's going to murder him. With a small shake of her head, Trini heads out into the night to her own dorm for once.

-

Next week Friday Trini heaves a sigh of relief when she gets her paper back, seeing the passing mark on the top of her essay. It's even better when she remembers that her roommate is gone for the weekend, having left early to see her family for Halloween. She honestly feels like she could conquer the world when she leaves the music building, the sun shining on her face and her smile almost as blinding as the sun itself. Without thinking too hard about it, she opens her phone to send Kim a message.

**Trini: can i swing by your dorm? i passed my essay and i would kill to get some chinese food to celebrate**

**Kim: That sounds like heaven. I'm on my way back to my dorm, meet me there?**

Trini's smile grows even wider, a pep in her step as she makes her way down towards Kim's building. She climbs the steps with ease to the fourth floor, opening the door to the hallway that the brunette lives in. Trini's pleasantly surprised to see Kim standing in front of her door, but her joy is replaced with concern when she sees the way Kim bites her lip, like she's trying to keep herself from crying.

Trini makes her way toward her slowly, making sure not to accidentally scare the taller girl, and looks at what Kim is seeing. Trini swears she can feel her blood boil and her vision turn red when she sees the graffiti sprayed on Kim's door. 'DUMB BITCH' it says, in bright red paint, and Trini can nearly feel Kim breaking beside her.

"Get your stuff," Trini says flatly, trying to hold in her emotion so that Kim doesn't know just exactly how pissed she is. Her voice scares Kim slightly, the girl looking at her with wide, watery eyes. The look on her face says she didn't quite hear what Trini had said, so she repeats, "Go get your stuff. You're coming to my place tonight."

Kim swallows, exhales a shaky breath before nodding, moving into her dorm and grabbing some overnight things. Trini stays outside, taking a picture of the harsh comment on Kim's door and sending it in a message to Zack.

**Trini: can you have this cleaned off by tomorrow?**

**Zack: is that kims door?**

**Zack: ill kill whoever did it i swear to god**

**Trini: i'm taking her to my place tonight. get this cleaned up, yeah?**

**Zack: yeah okay i will**

**Zack: thanks trini, seriously**

Trini locks her phone as Kim walks out of her dorm, ignoring the way Kim flinches when she sees the words written on her door again. Trini takes the small duffel bag from Kim, slinging it over her shoulder as the two of them walk down the hallway, down the stairs, out of the building. Trini doesn't say a word as they walk, not wanting to make Kim any more uncomfortable than she probably already is.

On the way to Trini's dorm they pass by the Chinese place, Trini silently prompting Kim to come in with her so she can get them some food, already knowing Kim's order from the last time they came here. Eventually they make it to Trini's dorm, the shorter girl opening the door and gesturing for Kim to enter without a word. Thankfully Trini had cleaned before going to class because Kim has never seen her dorm before, the taller girl looking around a little as Trini shuts the door behind her.

"There's a bathroom to the left if you need to change or shower or anything. I'll get our food onto plates while you get yourself situated, okay?" Trini says softly, earning a small, forced smile from Kim as she walks to the bathroom with her duffel bag. Trini can hear the shower turn on and she lets out a deep, shaky breath. She can still feel how angry she is in the pit of her stomach as she plates their dinner, walking it into the living area and setting both plates onto the table before pulling up Netflix. The best bet is probably mindless cartoons, Trini decides, and turns on Futurama to watch as Kim comes out of the bathroom clad in athletic shorts and a baggy t-shirt.

Trini pats the couch beside her, Kim giving her another small smile as she sits down, the two of them eating in silence. Trini doesn't mind the quiet, knows that Kim is probably going through a lot right now and it isn't her place to say anything. But Trini catches the taller girl looking over at her in her peripherals, turning her head slightly to look Kim in the eyes. She offers her a smile, one Kim returns, genuine despite it being much smaller, and Trini's smile grows more tender at the sight. She turns back to the TV, moving to take another bite of her Sesame Chicken-

"Thank you."

Trini turns slowly, trying to mask the surprise she feels when she realizes that Kim just spoke.

Kim just spoke for the first time in probably years, to  _ Trini _ . 

Her eyes meet the brunette's, her mouth hung open still from the previous act of trying to eat some chicken. But her food is long forgotten, opting to stare wide eyed at Kim. Kim just blushes, tucking some damp hair behind her ear, and Trini shakes herself out of her stupor.

"Yeah.. yeah of course," Trini says, a small smile playing on her lips. Kim's voice replays in her head, sounds so much like Trini had somehow expected it to be. So much like  _ her _ . They maintain eye contact for a few brief moments, Kim smiling despite the blush on her face, Trini's grin nearly splitting her face. "You've always got me, okay?"

Kim nods, and just like that everything is back to normal. Kim and Trini watch Futurama, Kim texting Trini when she needs something or has a stupid joke she wants to say, Trini doing all of the talking. But something shifts in Trini, something she knows has always been there but the sound of Kim's voice, the implications behind hearing Kim speak for the first time, unlock that feeling inside her. She falls asleep on the couch with Kim on her mind, knowing she's completely and undeniably fucked.

-

Zack and Trini become close. Not necessarily in the way that she is with Billy, certainly not in the way she is with Kim, but in a way she hasn't really been with anyone before. With Zack it's almost like how she is with Jason. Like a big brother she never had. He never makes her do something that will make her feel uncomfortable, but will take every chance he can to tease her.

After the incident with Kim's door, Zack immediately accepted Trini. He admitted to being a little on the fence about her position in Kim's life, considering the two had been friends since high school and Zack was there for her through all of the shit she went through. But after how she made it her job to make sure Kim was okay, that her door wouldn't have the awful writing on it from before when she came back, Zack knew she was meant to be a part of Kim's life.

(He also squealed, like  _ literally _ squealed, when he heard that Kim had spoken to Trini, but Trini threatened to beat the shit out of him with her extensive Tai Chi knowledge if he told anyone she told him. He pretended to zip his lips shut and throw out the key, but the boy can barely stay still for twenty seconds, let alone stay silent.)

The two made plans to meet up at Krispy Kreme after Trini got out of her 8am physics lab, the shorter girl surprised to hear that the boy enjoyed waking up early and jogging (a habit he procured in Angel Grove when he couldn't handle being home with his sick mother). Trini walked in before Zack got there, ordering their usuals before sitting in the corner that her and all of her friends tend to favor. Zack comes in maybe five minutes after she sits down, pulling a shirt on over his admittedly perfectly chiseled body, and smiling when he spots Trini in the corner.

"See something you like, Crazy Girl?" He smirks as he sits down, thanking her for his order with a smile and a five dollar bill that he slides across the table. Trini takes it happily, despite the glare on her face.

"I don't see why you insist on calling me that," she says, taking an over dramatic bite of her donut and watching the way he smiles, like he's holding down a laugh at her antics, before swallowing down his own bite of donut and pointing at her with his glazed pastry still in hand.

"Because you almost killed those fuckers for making Kim uncomfortable," he laughs, and it's true. Over the weekend the three of them went to a movie, and while Trini went to the bathroom and Zack went to get snacks, Kim went to go get them seats inside the theatre. Trini walked in to two guys towering over her, her eyes locked on how Kim was curled into herself, shaking with anxiety as they tried to talk to her. Trini saw red and went up to them, asking them what the fuck they were doing. When they laughed and said Kim wasn't putting out, Trini punched the first guy in the groin and grabbed the second guy by the arm, twisting it until he was crying out in pain.

Zack came in at that moment, pulling Trini off of the guys and holding her back while she thrashed in his arms. He told them that they better run before he lets her go, and they were out of there faster than Trini had ever seen anyone move. Once they were gone, Trini knelt down in front of Kim, asking softly if she was okay without touching her, prompted her to breathe with her until her anxiety calmed down. Zack called Trini crazy for taking on two guys twice her size, and the name Crazy Girl stuck ever since.

Trini rolls her eyes at Zack, shaking away the memory, and finishes the donut in her hand before grabbing for her drink, pausing slightly in between. Hesitantly, she looks up at Zack, the boy noticing her change in behavior, and asks, "Can I ask you something?" Zack nods once, putting his drink down to give Trini his full attention. "What happened to Kim that made her stop talking?"

Zack sighs softly, his head turning down towards the table before looking back up at Trini, a glint of sadness in his eyes. "I can't tell you everything, because it's not my story to tell. But I can give you a little backstory. You remember the Amanda thing, yeah?" Trini nods in acknowledgement. "Well, after Kim fell from her head cheerleading position, Amanda got everything Kim had. The popularity, the head cheerleading spot, everything. Kim's asshole of an ex boyfriend Ty Flemming was even cheating on Kim with Amanda, which is why the whole Amanda thing happened."

Trini nods slowly in response, putting the pieces together in her head. She can understand now why Kim lashed out like that, if anyone cheated on Trini she would literally fight them the minute she found out. Zack gives her a moment to wrap her head around what he's saying before continuing after a deep breath.

"So when Kim didn't let the petty bullshit Amanda was throwing at her get to her, she decided Kim didn't deserve to be happy in any sense, I guess. She even tried to go after me, which did not fly well with Kim," Zack chuckles at the memory. "I don't really know the specifics of what Amanda did to Kim, I just remember one week Kim was this confident, 'I don't give a fuck' kind of girl, and the next she was just.. silent."

Trini would love to get her hands on Amanda and beat the shit out of her for hurting Kim. Zack must be able to tell, because he puts a hand over Trini's in a comforting manner, smirking as he says, "Down Tiger." Trini just shakes her head, chugging the rest of her coffee and grimacing when she hits the grimy residue at the bottom of her cup.

"Question for a question, yeah?" Zack asks, Trini nodding hesitantly at his question and the way he asked it, like he already knows the answer. "Do you like Kim?"

"Of course I do, she's my friend," Trini says incredulously, but the wiggle of Zack's eyebrows implies that that was not the kind of question she was asking. Rolling her eyes so hard they twitch, Trini says, "Not in that way, asshole."

"Are you sure?" He asks, much more seriously this time, and Trini takes a moment to think about it. Sure she knows Kim is pretty, and she always smiles when Kim's texts her, and her stomach feels like it's exploding whenever she smiles or laughs, and her heart almost beat it's way out of her chest when she heard Kim's voice for the first time, and-

"Oh fuck, I like Kim," Trini nearly whispers, her eyes widening in surprise and fear as the realization hits her like a ton of bricks. Zack smiles at Trini almost like he's proud, clambering over to the seat next to Trini's and wrapping his arms around the shorter girl's shoulders. Trini protests immediately, telling him to 'fuck off with his sweaty ass', but eventually gave in, wrapping her arms around his torso and sinking into his embrace.

"You're an amazing person, Trini. I'm glad Kim has you," he says honestly against her hair, letting her go and ruffling up the hair on the top of her head and narrowly avoiding a fist to his face as he moves back over to his original seat. Trini starts to think over what she just admitted, what Zack just implied, and her breathing picks up. More desperate, more labored, her eyes widening slightly in fear. Zack notices, leaning closer to the table so he can speak quietly, asking the small Latina, "Are you okay?"

"I.. I-I don't.. I've never.." Trini can't put her thoughts into words, the panic crawling up her chest and into her throat as she tries to comprehend what's going on with her for the first time since her talk with Jason. A small tug on her hand startles her, her eyes wide as she whips her head up to look at Zack, who looks worried for her.

"You've never liked a girl before, have you?" He says more than he asks, and it's all it takes for the tears to start falling from Trini's eyes, her body nearly crumbling in on itself as she breaks into tears in the middle of Krispy Kreme. Zack reacts immediately, grabbing Trini's bag and slinging it onto his back before grabbing Trini herself, holding her bridal style in his arms as he runs them out of Krispy Kreme and towards the nearby library, knowing no one goes behind it.

He sits down gently in the grass, still holding a crying Trini in his arms as he rocks them slightly, whispering words of encouragement in her ear as she gets out her emotions. It takes a few minutes, but her cries eventually die down to whimpers and sniffles, rubbing her nose against the sleeve of her jacket and sighing heavily.

"I'm really sorry you had to see that," Trini says in a small voice, Zack shushing her immediately. They stay silent for a few moments, Trini not minding being held despite how small she feels, the feeling of Zack's heartbeat in his chest keeping her sane. He hums softly to gain her attention, looking down at her and asking, "You wanna talk about it?"

Trini debates lying, saying it's nothing and that she'll be fine. But this is Zack, the Zack that treats her like a big brother and physically carries her out of public places when she has meltdowns instead of leaving her alone to deal with her existential crisis. So she sniffs and nods, Zack setting her down beside her but keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I uh.. I've never really had relationships before. I never felt the need nor the desire to be with someone, you know? My mom was.. really on my ass about it," Trini sniffles, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "She thought that because I wasn't dating a guy that I was.. wrong. She assumed that because I didn't want to be with a guy that I was into girls."

Zack holds her tighter as her breathing becomes more labored. "She uh.. she said a lot of shitty things to me. Told me that I was an abomination, that I was just sick and needed help. I didn't even understand what she was implying until she called me a.. a dyke." She can feel Zack stiffen next to her, like he's offended for her, and she leans into his embrace a little bit. "I've only ever dated one guy, because I was trying to get her off of my ass. But he was a terrible person, and I realized it too late. So ever since then I just never dated. Figured I just had shit luck with guys."

"But now you're realizing it wasn't the guys, aren't you?" Zack asks softly, Trini nodding stiffly at his question. Zack hums in understanding before speaking again. "You know, I was in your shoes a few years ago. Kim actually helped me through it."

"Really?" Trini asks softly, looking up at Zack who just smiles down at her, nodding slightly. "You're gay?"

"Pansexual, actually," he clarifies, to which Trini quickly apologizes for mislabeling him. "Don't sweat it, you're still a baby gay, you're learning. But yeah, I figured out I'm attracted to people for who they are, not what they identify as. It took a lot of research, panic attacks, and talks with Kim, but I eventually was able to accept myself for who I am and love myself for it. And I'll be right here to help you, too."

"Thank you," Trini nearly whispers. "For helping me with all of this."

"Thank you for trusting me," Zack smiles in response, squeezing Trini against his side before standing and offering her her backpack. "Now c'mon, hop on my back and I'll take you wherever you need to go."

Trini smiles despite the emotional wreck she just was a few moments ago, clambering up onto her feet and climbing onto Zack's back. He runs around in random weaves and patterns, pretending like they're running through a bunch of rock monsters trying to attack them just to make Trini laugh, and she does. Granted, she laughs at him for being an idiot, but still plays along with it nonetheless.

-

Thanksgiving comes up quickly, and Billy quickly makes plans for Trini and Jason to have their own little Thanksgiving dinner at his apartment since none of them are going home for the holidays. Trini has her own problems with her parents, Jason didn't have the time to make it home, and Billy didn't want to leave them alone, so dinner at Billy's was the best bet.

"Can I bring some friends?" Trini asks quietly as they're all sat on Billy's couch, planning out the food distribution of their dinner plans. The boys look between themselves and Trini, Jason being the first to smirk playfully at Trini while Billy asks, "Will they help with food?"

"I'll make sure they do, Lil Bill. Promise," Trini smiles, Billy clapping his hands excitedly before Jason asks, "Is one of these friends Kimberly Hart?" 

Trini blushes and stares at the floor, nodding instead of talking because she doesn't trust her voice right now. Jason smiles proudly at her, giving her a supportive squeeze on her shoulder, before saying, "We promise we won't embarrass you. Right Billy?"

"Why would I want to embarrass Trini? She's my friend and I want to be supportive of her relationship with Kimberly Hart," Billy says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Trini nearly chokes on her own spit, eyes bugging out of her head as she stares at Billy. He looks at her, before his eyes hesitantly look to Jason. "Did.. Did I read that wrong?"

"You're just a little early, Billy," Jason says softly, calming Billy down from thinking he upset one of his close friends. Trini takes a deep breath to calm herself down, smiling softly at Billy before letting him know he did nothing wrong.

"I actually have something to tell you guys, so if you guys could not laugh that'd be cool," Trini says, standing from the couch in front of the guys, gaining both of their attention as she shuffles on her feet, nervously rubbing her hands together as she mutters a quiet 'okay'. Taking a deep breath, she looks up at the two of them before saying, "I don't know what I am yet, what label it is that I fall under. But.. I know that I like girls."

It's the first time Trini's ever admitted it out loud. She had agreed with Zack when he implied it but never said it herself, never really accepted it. So she figured that if she was going to have this moment with anyone, it was going to be her two best friends.

Billy is up on his feet immediately, wrapping his arms around Trini and holding her tight against his chest. Jason is right behind him, asking Billy if he's okay with him hugging them both before joining in on the group hug. "I'm really proud of you, Trini," Billy says, smile evident in his voice before he pulled away and did his Billy clap. Jason pulls Trini into his own hug, muttering that he loves her no matter what against her hair, before pulling away and smiling proudly at her.

"Come on, let’s go finish our list for Thanksgiving and you can ask your friends if they want to come," Jason smiles, the three of them smiling at each other before moving back to the couch and arguing over what kind of potatoes they want. Trini holds back slightly, smiling at how despite how different she may feel inside, her friends will never treat her differently.

-

**Trini: how would you and zack feel about coming over to billy's for thanksgiving?**

**Kim: We'd love to :)**

**Kim: What do we need to bring?**

**Trini: billy requests you bring mashed potatoes and drinks**

**Trini: jason requests you bring flowers and your love**

**Trini: I DID NOT SEND THAT I AM GOING TO KILL THAT FUCKER**

-

Thanksgiving rolls around, a cold chill in the air but a warm vibe within the apartment as Trini busies herself helping Billy set the table. A knock on the door alerts them of someone else's presence and Trini announces to the boys that she'll get it, opening the door to see Zack holding a large bowl of mashed potatoes and a twelve pack of Coca-Cola, Kim standing right behind him.

"Crazy girl!" He shouts excitedly, giving her the best hug that he can manage despite his hands being full of items. Trini laughs happily and reciprocates regardless, pressing her face against his chest. "Thanks for inviting me, I really needed this," he mutters into her hair, but the way he says it makes Trini's eyebrows scrunch in concern. He smiles down almost sadly at her, promising to explain later, before moving into Billy's apartment towards the kitchen and the guys.

Trini shakes her head at the dark haired boy and turns to face Kim, who has a bag of two liters in one hand and the other hidden behind her back. Trini's smile grows at the sight of the taller girl, motioning for her to come in. Before she does, Kim pulls her arm forward from behind her back, a small bouquet of flowers in hand. Wordlessly she hands them to Trini, a small smile on her face when she sees the shorter girl's face light up in surprise. Trini looks up at Kim, preparing to say thank you, when the taller girl winks.

She fucking  _ winks _ .

Without letting her respond, Kim slips past Trini towards where she saw Zack go, leaving Trini to gape at the flowers in her hand momentarily. Laughing breathily and praying her blush will go away quickly, Trini shakes her head and moves into the kitchen, grabbing a vase and filling it with water so that she can place the flowers as their centerpiece for dinner. The boys make quick work of bringing all of the food to the table, and Trini's heart thumps a little harder when she realizes that the people around her are the most important people in her life right now. 

Her family.

"Quick introductions!" Zack clasps his hands together. "I'm Zack, this is Kimberly. We're friends of Trini's obviously. I'd like to think that I'm pretty cool, Kim not so much." Kim smacks Zack's shoulder with a small laugh, Zack just smiling and throwing his arm around her shoulder. "We've been best friends for years, despite how much she'd love to get rid of me."

"We actually have a few classes together. You're a mechanical engineer too, right?" Jason asks as the five of them start to pile food onto their plates. "I'm Jason."

"We all went to high school together," Billy slides into the conversation, Zack's eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Jason was a quarterback, Kimberly was a cheerleader, and Trini and I were the nerds."

"Hey at least we were the coolest nerds," Trini laughs, raising her glass in a toast towards Billy who immediately mirrors her action, a happy smile on his face as their glasses touch. "But yeah, Billy and I tended to keep to ourselves to avoid trouble and shit. It found us anyways, but we did our best to keep out of it."

"I barely went to school, honestly. Probably why I didn't recognize you guys," Zack admits after swallowing a mouthful of turkey that Jason cooked to absolute perfection. "I spent a lot of time taking care of my mom. She was really sick and I was too worried about her to focus in class. Kim actually was my tutor before we became friends."

"I'm sorry if this is an inappropriate question, but you said 'was'," Billy interjects softly. "Did she get better or is she still sick?" Trini notices Zack's smile falter a little, notices how Kim rubs his forearm supportively. Trini takes a leap of faith and holds his hand in her own, despite not knowing what's going on, but she can assume.

"This is actually my first thanksgiving without her," Zack admits softly, all of them ignoring the small crack in his voice for his sake. Jason reaches over and puts his hand overtop Trini and Zack's joined hands, Billy apologizing profusely for making him upset. "No, Billy, it's okay," Zack smiles gently, waving it off with his free hand. "I'm glad I have you guys. This is so much better than I ever would've expected my day to be, so thank you."

All of them smile, going back to eating their Thanksgiving dinner and exchanging stories ranging from their high school years to wild stories about their professors. The night is filled with laughter and Trini eats until she feels like her pants are going to burst. To her, being surrounded by her friends that have supported her, that have made her year so much better than it ever could have been without them, it's absolutely perfect.

-

It gets cold in December. Well, cold in the perspective of those who live in California. Trini makes a habit of wearing a flannel, her bomber jacket, and a beanie to keep herself warm when she walks between classes and buys multiple coffees to thaw her insides throughout the week. She also makes a habit of huddling with Jason and/or Billy when walking to their shared classes, using them for warmth when the wind gets too much.

Her friend group has grown from three to five, Zack and Kim becoming constants in her and her friends lives after Thanksgiving dinner. It was more common for her to see Zack lounging on the couch with Jason or Billy than Kim, but Kim was happy to show up whenever she felt comfortable. She still hasn't spoken since that night with Trini, but none of them ever make her feel pressured and she's always willing to listen to any of them when they're having problems or just need to talk. Billy loves that about her, how she'll always lend an ear when he needs to talk out a problem he's having with an invention or a class problem.

Trini continues to develop feelings for the taller brunette but instead of running and hiding from her new discovery, she talks with Jason and Zack about it. They're always willing to help, smiling widely when she accidentally starts to rant about how pretty Kim is when the light hits her eyes just right or how Kim's smile is the only pure thing in this world besides Billy. Well, Jason smiles at her and ruffles her hair, Zack just teases her for being a sappy gay. But it's perfect and she loves them.

The five of them made plans when the semester ended to travel back to Angel Grove together for the holidays, which leads them to now: piled in Jason's beat up truck with Billy manning the aux cord, Trini and Jason shamelessly singing All My Exes Live In Texas with the dark skinned boy to make him smile. Trini is squashed in the back seat between a snoring Zack and a quiet Kim for the duration of the five hour drive, watching Jason look at a singing Billy so fondly that it warms her heart.

**Kim: They're perfect for each other**

Trini looks at the message with a small smile, looking over at Kim who's smiling down at Trini as her eyes flicker from the shorter girl to the guys up front. Biting her lip to contain her grin from growing even bigger, her love for her circle of friends growing impossibly large even with the slumbering giant beside her, she types a response to the girl beside her.

**Trini: i know, i've been trying to get jason to grow some balls since we met**

Kim can't stop the chuckle that escapes her lips, Trini smiling at the sound when it reaches her ears. Instead of responding, Kim tucks her phone away and drapes her left arm over Trini's shoulders, pulling the girl toward her. Trini ignores the pounding in her chest as she leans her head against Kim's shoulder, her eyes falling shut as the scent of lavender and vanilla and something so uniquely Kimberly Hart reaches her nose, calming her down and riling her up at the same time. 

She falls asleep in Kim's embrace, a small smile on her face when she does. It isn't until she feels Kim shake her slightly that she stirs, looking around like she completely forgot where she is. "Mm, where are we?" Trini asks, Kim chuckling at the disoriented look on her face before pointing out the window, the low light of the sun shining over Angel Grove as they approach it from the highway.

One at a time, Jason drops them off at their houses. Billy is first, begging all of them to come inside for a moment so that his mother can meet them. Trini literally leaps over Kim's lap, more than happy to see Candace Cranston for the first time in months. Kim just shakes her head at the smaller girl's excitement and follows, punching Zack in the chest to wake him up.

After a very happy reunion and some introductions, Billy and Mrs. Cranston wave goodbye to the remaining four college students as they drive off towards the mountains, Kim and Zack next on the list. Mr. and Mrs. Hart called and insisted that Zack stay with them, knowing he didn't have anywhere to go in Angel Grove, and he agreed with tears in his eyes. 

Trini had hugged him once he had gotten off of the phone with them, and she hugs him even harder when he gets out of the truck. Kim smiles and waves at Trini as she walks to her front door, the shorter girl blushing as she waves back. As soon as they're inside, Trini clambers up to the front seat, smiling at Jason as he ruffles her hair and takes her home.

"Uh, heads up my mother is insane and will assume that we're dating," Trini says hesitantly as they approach her house, the porch light almost the bane of her existence at this point. But she misses her brothers more than anything and is willing to deal with her overbearing mother to see them. Jason, for his part, just shrugs.

"Do you want to pretend to date me so your mom will get off your ass?" Jason offers, Trini nearly breaking her neck at how fast she looks at him. She won't lie, she debates his offer for a few silent moments. Jason is attractive, athletic, smart; everything her mom always nagged her to find in a man. But then she realizes that she doesn't want to pretend to be someone she isn't just so her mom will love her. So she tells Jason just that.

He parks the car at the curb, turning to smile at girl in his passenger seat with that smile that Zack has officially dubbed the 'proud dad' smile. Despite the center console, Jason pulls Trini in for a hug, kissing her hairline softly. "I'm really proud of you, Trini. Never forget that." Trini just smiles, buries her head against his chest and nods. "If it gets to be too much, my door is always open."

Trini pulls back with a nod, hopping out of the truck and pulling her belongings out of the truck bed. Jason waves as he drives off, Trini reciprocating happily before taking a deep, shaky breath turning to face her front door. It takes all of her courage to walk towards the door, even more to knock on the dark colored door. Her mother opens it almost immediately, not even hesitating as she starts barraging Trini with questions.

" _ Mija! _ So good to see you! How is school? Are your grades good? Have you made any friends? Who drove you here? Was he your boyfriend?" June asks in the same breath, crushing Trini in her arms. Trini has to forcibly shove her way out of her mom's arms, the loud yelling of her twin brothers as they run down the stairs causing her to smile.

"Trini!" They both yell, clambering into her arms for a group hug. She smiles, kneeling down and hugging them back just as tight and messing up the hair on their heads when she stands. Trini's mother is looking at her expectantly, like she's waiting for Trini to answer her barrage of questions. 

"June, leave our  _ niñita _ alone, she just walked in the door," Trini's father, Rodrigo, says as he appears in the entryway of their house, smiling down at his daughter happily. Trini has always favored her father, even if he is somewhat of a pushover when it came to his wife, so she is quick to jump into his arms when he opens them expectantly.

" _ Te extrañe, papá _ ," Trini mutters against his chest, Rodrigo chuckling as he rubs her back comfortingly. He nudges her away from him, placing his hands on her shoulders as he takes a good look at her, smiling proudly when he sees that she looks happy.

"Look at you, all grown up. College is going well?" He asks, Trini nodding once in response. "Good. I see you are still safe and healthy which is all a father can ask for when his daughter leaves the house. He  _ does _ hope that his daughter still loves his  _ Paella de Marisco _ ," Rodrigo teases, watching the way Trini's face lights up in excitement over the prospect of eating a homemade Spanish dish for the first time in what feels like forever. He smiles and nods his head towards the kitchen, Trini rushing in and nearly moaning at the smell of a home cooked meal.

Dinner goes well for all of ten minutes, Trini's father asking small question that have Trini talking about her classes and how she's progressing in her major. He smiles proudly at her, knowing how passionate she is about her music and her studies, and Trini is glad she can talk to her family like a normal family for once in her life.

Until June ruins it, naturally.

"So who was that boy who dropped you off?" She asks Trini, not noticing the way her daughter stiffens at the question. She takes a bite of the crab and shrimp on her plate, blissfully ignorant to how her everyone at the table has grown quiet. "Is he your boyfriend?"

Trini swallows thickly, putting her fork down due to the appetite loss she's suddenly obtained since her mom decided that Trini needed to be interrogated when she's only been home for about thirty minutes. "No," is all Trini can manage, keeping her head down to avoid the disappointed stare in her mother's eyes.

"He could be. He looked like a dashing young boy," June points out, still ignorant to how her daughter is visibly folding into herself. "I just think that if you dressed a little differently, put a little more effort into your appearance then maybe he would ask you out-"

"He's in love with Billy."

It slips before she can stop it from coming out of her mouth, flinching at the clang of silverware against the plate. No one at the table moves, hell they barely even breathe, as her mom inhales sharply. Trini's thinking of ways she can spin what she said, play it off as a joke, but her mother beats her to it before she can say anything.

"So, you're surrounding yourself with bad influences and heathens now," June says flatly. Her tone is dangerously calm, and Trini can't bring it in her to say anything as she continues. "You know, I could handle you not dating. Despite the fact that I think you're wasting your life away being single, I could handle it. But befriending these people, these..  _ homosexuals _ -"

"They're amazing people, mom. Don't talk about them like that just because you don't agree with who they are," Trini finds herself fighting back for the first time in years, feeling personally offended by how her mom is not only referring to her friends, but herself indirectly.

"'Who they are' is an  _ abomination _ ," June says tensely, obviously trying to keep her anger in. Rodrigo grabs his wife's hand, trying to calm her down so they can just have one normal family dinner for once with their daughter but June is not having it, refuses to back down. "They are disgusting and do not belong."

"Do  _ not _ talk about my friends like that," Trini nearly growls, staring at her plate of half eaten food to keep herself from lashing out dangerously, saying something that will cause another argument and ruining another dinner. 

Her mother has different plans, asking her, "Why do you even defend them? They're a blot on society and a sin in the face of God-"

_ "Because I'm one of them!" _

Everything stops, Trini gasping for breath when she realizes what she's done. Her father is staring at her with wide, surprised eyes, her brothers looking at each other confusedly since they have no idea what's going on, but June is as still as stone. Her eyes are shut as she heaves a deep breath, muttering something Trini can't hear under her breath before she speaks aloud.

"Get out."

Trini's eyes widen, looking between her mother who refuses to look at her and her father whose eyes are shut as he holds his head in his hands, obviously distressed by the situation. She looks at her brothers, who look afraid as their eyes move between their mother and their sister. Trini's eyes fill with tears as she asks in a shaky voice, "M-mom?"

" _ Tú no eres mi hija, _ " June says sharply, her voice flat and her voice as cold as ice. She finally looks up from her plate at Trini, a fire in her eyes Trini has never seen before. "My daughter is a child of God. My daughter doesn't bring sin and disappointment into this house. You are  _ not _ my daughter."

"June-" Rodrigo tries to interject, to defend his daughter but his wife refuses to listen. She stands from the table, grabbing Trini's half finished plate of food and taking it into the kitchen. When she returns, her hands are on her hips as she stares down at Trini, who's doing everything in her power not to break down in tears in front of her brothers.

"I said get out of my house,  _ tu abominación _ ," she spits, and Trini's never been more thankful that she hurried into the house without unpacking or taking her shoes off. She stands quickly, moving towards her brothers to give them a hug. 

"Do not touch them, heathen," June yells at her, but Trini just glares at her before telling her brothers that she loves them so much more than they'll ever realize. She then moves to her father, quickly hugging him and muttering that she'll be okay, that she loves him. Without sparing her mom a second glance, she grabs her discarded bag and coat from the entryway to the house and walks out the door, slamming it shut for good measure.

-

It takes her twenty minutes to cross town on foot. She didn't want to call any of her friends, not wanting to burden them with her problems when they're probably having happy reunions with their families. Despite herself, she still ends up on Billy's doorstep, debating if she should knock for two minutes before sucking up the courage to do so. Candace answers in an instant, her initial excitement to see Trini again replaced with worry when she sees Trini on her porch, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Come on, sweetie. I'll set you up in the guest bedroom and you can go downstairs to see Billy afterwards, okay?" Candace asks, Trini nodding wordlessly as she follows Mrs. Cranston up the stairs. That's one thing she always envied about Billy and his mom. Their relationship was so amazing and Mrs. Cranston was one of the kindest people she's ever known. The woman still apologizes for calling her Deedee the first time she met her, and it's been nearly four years since that even happened.

When Trini drops her bag into the spare room, Mrs. Cranston pulls her into her embrace for a gentle hug. Trini falls into it immediately, choking back a few sobs when she realizes she'll never hug her own family again. "I'm not sure what's going on sweetie," Mrs. Cranston says quietly, her voice filling the empty air around them, "but you always have a home here, okay?"

"Thank you," Trini whispers, knowing her voice will crack if she actually uses it. Mrs. Cranston pulls away and smiles softly down at the shorter girl, moving aside so that Trini can head downstairs where Billy is holed up in his basement, surrounded by his old trinkets. 

Trini descends the steps silently, plopping down onto the couch in Billy's basement and watching him play around with a wide assortment of rocks. The squeaking of the springs beneath the cushions catches Billy's attention, the boy's smile immediately faltering when he sees Trini nearly curled in on herself.

"Trini?" He asks softly, and that's all it takes for her to lose it again. Her body shakes with quiet sobs, vaguely registering the sound of metal scraping across the concrete floor before feeling the couch dip beside her. Trini knows Billy isn't the biggest on physical contact, so the fact that he immediately takes her into his arms and holds her as she cries reminds Trini how lucky she is to have such an amazing person like Billy Cranston in her life.

"I don't- I can't-" Trini tries to speak but Billy shushes her immediately, holding her just a little tighter while she sobs against his chest. He doesn't let go once until her sobs have died down to whimpers, running his hand through the unbraided side of her hair to relax her.

"I'm sorry for whatever happened, Trini," Billy says softly, Trini's only response being a quiet sniffle. "Just know I love you. We all do. Zack, Jason, even Kim. You're family and we're always going to be here for you." Trini's heart melts at his words, the first smile since she saw her brothers blooming on her face as she nods against his chest. Pulling away from his embrace, she wipes the leftover tears from her eyes and sniffles loudly.

"I accidentally came out at dinner," Trini says in a small, husky voice from all of the crying, sounding more broken than she's ever heard herself sound before. "My mom was saying terrible things about Jason because he's bisexual and I defended him and she yelled at me for defending him and I just.. came out." She whispers the last words, not trusting her voice as she continues. "She kicked me out and disowned me, Billy."

"Oh Trini.." he says helplessly, Trini doesn't blame him. She doesn't even know how to help herself. "It's her loss, in my opinion. You're an amazing person and an even more amazing friend and I don't know what I would do without you in my life. You listen to me when I ramble and help me with experiments you don't understand and you help me with social situations I don't understand and I would be so upset if I didn't have you in my life."

Trini's crying again for an entirely different reason as he continues. "And if she can't see that, well.. well fuck her," Billy says softly, a loud bark of laughter emitting from Trini's lungs as she registers that Billy Cranston, resident pure boy, just swore. "You can celebrate Christmas with me and my mom, okay?"

"I'd love that," Trini nods, a small smile on her lips. "Can I hug you again?" Billy nods, wrapping his arms around Trini's shoulders and holding her tight against him. Trini scoots closer until her head is rested on his shoulders, mutter a quiet 'thank you' as they pull away. As she heads to bed, she places a quick kiss on his forehead, telling her how much she appreciates him before heading upstairs, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hits the pillow from how emotionally exhausted she is.

-

Two days later she's at Kim's (and subsequently, Zack's) front door, shifting nervously on her feet as she rings the doorbell. She's surprised to see a middle aged Indian woman answer the door, most likely Kim's mother, a warm smile on her face as she greets the shorter girl. "Oh you must be one of Kim's new friends!" she says excitedly, and Trini can hear the subtle accent in her voice. "Please, come in! We're about to eat dinner. Have you ever had Biryani?"

Trini enters the house, trying and failing to mask the awe she feels when she sees how nice the interior of the house is. "I'm afraid not, Mrs. Hart, but I'm not one to shy away from new foods," Trini answers honestly, a small smile forming on her face when Mrs. Hart smiles widely at her and gestures for her to follow her into the house. They pass through the kitchen and enter the dining area where Trini has to stifle a laugh at the sight of Zack running around the table away from Kim.

Mrs. Hart huffs exasperatedly, yelling something in a language Trini can't pinpoint at her two friends. Kim stops immediately, blushing when she sees Trini standing behind her mother, and Zack shouts excitedly when he sees her, running over and scooping her up in his arms. "Crazy girl! I've missed you!"

"Put me down, you brainless beast!" Trini shouts through her laughter, thrashing in his arms until he puts her back down on her feet. She punches him hard in the shoulder before wrapping her arms around his torso, his arms coming up around her shoulders protectively. "I missed you too, by the way. But if you tell anyone I'll deny it."

"I knew you loved me deep down in that sarcastic shell," Zack teases her with a smirk, letting her go and ruffling her hair in his fingers. He looks over her shoulder, taking a step back in what seems like fear, the reaction making Trini turn around only to get an armful of Kimberly Hart, who hugs her so tight Trini feels like she might break.

And honestly, she might. Because she's never hugged Kim before, never knew if it was appropriate to enter her personal space like this. But Kim's arms are wrapped around her so protectively that Trini can't help but slip her own around Kim's waist, audibly sighing in contentment at how at home she feels in Kim's embrace.

It worries her, why Kim is hugging her. The only person who knew about what happened earlier that week was Billy, and she knew he wouldn't tell a soul without her permission. Could Kim tell she was upset or did she just genuinely want to hug her? As she backs out of Kim's embrace, the red flush of Kim's cheeks paired with the shy smile gives Trini her answer.

"Come on, children. Dinner is ready!" Mrs. Hart yells as Mr. Hart trails behind her, carrying a large bowl filled with rice and other ingredients. Mrs. Hart serves them all, Trini thanking multiple times for allowing her to eat with them throughout the entire process. Kim's mother just waves her off, telling her that any friend of Kim's is always welcome in their home.

"So Trini, where did you meet Kim?" Mr. Hart asks, and Trini giggles slightly at the glare Kim is giving her father.

"Calm down, K, it's chill," she says to Kim with a smile, watching the girl visibly relax at the shorter girl's words. Turning her gaze to to Kim's parents, not noticing the warm look they're giving her, she answers, "Kim and I have a few classes together, but I actually met her at Krispy Kreme. I had heard that she wasn't much of a talker so I just passed her a note, and the rest is history."

"That's incredibly considerate of you, Trini," Mrs. Hart smiles so kindly at Trini it makes her feel awkward, despite knowing that the smile is completely genuine. "I barely know you and I'm so glad Kimberly has you. You're a very good person, from what I can see."

"Thank you," Trini smiles, taking a bite of her food and nearly moaning at the taste. "Oh my god this is literally  _ heaven _ ." Abruptly she turns to Kim, pointing at the taller girl with her fork. "Kim, I want you to know that I'm now only friends with you because of your parents' cooking."

Kim gasps in mock offense before the two of them burst into a fit of giggles, Trini missing the look her parents share as they look at the two girls. Zack just rolls his eyes, smiling softly at the interaction despite himself and continuing to shove Mrs. Hart's cooking into his mouth. 

Eventually small conversation is made at the table throughout the duration of dinner, Trini finding it easy to fit into the conversation and laugh with this family she has just met. When they're all finished eating, Trini quickly hops up, offering to help Kim with the dishes without second thought, the task something she was used to at home.

"No no, you are our guest, you just sit there and don't worry your pretty head off," Mrs. Hart chastises her with a smile, Trini nodding in response before running at Zack and clambering onto his back, letting him run her through the house and it's long hallways before returning to the kitchen, Kim and her parents just finishing cleaning up.

"Is there any way I could meet your mother? I would love to tell her what an incredible daughter she raised," Mrs. Hart asks. It's an innocent question, no one in this house besides Trini knows what happens, but Kim's mother doesn't miss the way the shorter girl freezes up at the question. "Trini? Is everything okay?"

Trini hesitates, swallowing her pride and usual deflection methods before responding. "I uh.. I got kicked out the other day, actually, so.."

Trini notices how Kim's head whips around, staring at Trini with surprised yet sympathetic eyes. Her mom gives her a similar look, tugging on Trini's shoulders to bring her in for a hug. Trini can see Zack and Kim exchanging confused glances from across the kitchen, and she almost feels bad for not telling them. Mrs. Hart pulls away from the hug, hands placed firmly on Trini's shoulders as she stares her dead in the eyes.

"I want you to know that whatever it is she said to you when you left was wrong. I may have met you mere hours ago, but I can tell that you're an amazing, unique girl with so much love in her heart. I hope one day she sees that, but until then you're always welcome in this family."

Tears are filling Trini's eyes by the time Mrs. Hart stops talking, smiling through the moisture in her eyes as she nods. Mrs. Hart smiles as well, in an almost knowing manner that has Trini questioning if she knows about her, before stepping away from her just as Zack and Kim both coming nearly running at her. They both wrap their arms around her at the same time, Zack whispering how much he loves her in her ear. Kim places a soft kiss to her temple, and the action is enough for Trini to know she's always there for her. That they're both always there for her.

As she's leaving the Hart household to head back to Billy's, having already said her goodbyes to the Hart's and Zack, she's stopped by an hand on her wrist. She turns, seeing Kim look her in the eyes before following her outside the door, closing it behind her. Trini's brows scrunch in confusion as she stares at Kim, but the taller girl quickly wraps her arms around Trini once again, the shorter girl automatically melting into her touch.

"I'm always here, okay?"

Trini can't help the gasp that passes from her lips, the words Kim spoke hanging in the air as Trini pulls back slightly from Kim, her arms still wrapped around Kim's waist. Trini knows that Kim is always there for her, she never doubted it, but actually hearing the girl speak those words hits Trini way more than she expected it too. Kim smiles down at her, pressing her lips to Trini's hairline for a second longer than friendly, pulling out of their embrace and walking towards her door.

"Thank you," Trini nearly whispers, too scared to use her voice for some reason. Kim opens the door, smiling at Trini and sending her a small wave before walking back inside. Trini heads back to Billy's in a sort of trance, the entire walk back a blur until she's at his doorstep. Billy smiles when he opens the door for Trini, immediately taking notice to her spaced out behavior and asking if she's okay.

"I just heard Kim speak for the first time in three months," Trini sort of mumbles, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Kim actually talked to  _ her _ of all people and not her best friend or her family. Billy claps excitedly as they make their way down into his basement, before stopping in his tracks and turning back towards Trini.

"Wait, three months?" He asks, Trini realizing she never told Billy about the first time Kim spoke to her and nodding shyly. Billy just smiles wider, his grin splitting his face as he pats Trini on the head, because even on the stairs he's still taller than her. "That's really good. That means she likes you!"

Trini nearly chokes on her spit. "What do you mean, 'she likes me'?" She asks incredulously, refusing to believe that someone as beautiful and kind as Kimberly Hart would ever like someone like Trini.

"Well Zack said he hasn't heard Kim talk in years and they're best friends. And Kim has definitely not talked to Jason or I since high school. So if she's talking to you, that must mean she likes you," Billy says as he sits in his stool like it's the most obvious thing in the world. He lifts a small rock with a black gem lodged inside it. "Do you think this is amethyst or obsidian?"

Trini is so thrown from Billy's question topic she has no idea how to answer, staring at the gem for a brief moment before answering. "It's not a dense enough black to be obsidian and it doesn't have the proper pattern of amethyst. Maybe fluorite?" Billy takes in her answer momentarily before nodding agreement, setting it in the corner with an assortment of other colored gems like it. "Do you really think Kim likes me?"

"She'd be stupid not to," Billy answers so honestly it makes Trini smile, running her hands over his buzzed hair before telling him she's heading to bed, falling asleep with a smile on her face for the first time since she was kicked out.

-

Mrs. Hart insists that Kim and her new friends celebrate Christmas together at their house, inviting the parents of her friends as well (save for Trini's, which the shorter girl is more than thankful for) over for dinner and general festivities. Mrs. Cranston and the Scott’s agree happily, bringing over dishes to pass at dinner as well. Trini had asked Mrs. Cranston to help her make enchiladas for the dinner, wanting to bring some of her culture to the table as Mrs. Hart had for her. Candace agreed wholeheartedly, helping the shorter girl make the best enchiladas she could without her mother's recipe.

Dinner went wonderfully, Mr. and Mrs. Scott each giving Trini tight hugs because Jason had told them what had happened with her parents. They told her that if she ever needed a place to stay, she could always come to their house and they would always have an empty bed for her. Trini smiled through watery eyes, still not used to loving and supporting parents, and thanked them for their kindness.

It isn't until after dinner that things started to get interesting. Mrs. Hart finds Trini in the crowd talking to Jason and taps on her shoulder gently, gaining the attention of the shorter Latina. "Trini, can you come here for a moment please?" She asks softly.

Trini's brows scrunch in confusion, eyes flickering to Jason who just shrugs, obviously having no idea what's going on. Hesitantly, Trini follows Mrs. Hart to the kitchen island, the older woman leaning down and rifling through the drawer in front of her until she smiles victoriously. Procuring a small box in her hands, she finally speaks to Trini.

"Zack told us about what you did for our Kimberly a few months ago, when that rude message was written on her door," Mrs. Hart begins, "and my husband and I were working on finding Kimberly an apartment near campus to get her away from those awful people." Trini just stares at Mrs. Hart, not exactly sure where this is going and what it has to do with her until Kim's mom continues. "After hearing about what happened with your parents the both of us got to talking, and after discussing with Kimberly via text messaging, we agreed that we wanted to pass that hospitality to you."

Trini's brows scrunch in confusion until Mrs. Hart opens the box, Trini's eyes widening in shock at the sight of the key resting on the red velvet within the box. She frantically looks between the key and Mrs. Hart, trying to figure out if this is some kind of joke, when Mr. Hart appears out of nowhere.

"We've seen how good you are with Kimberly, how happy you make her and how you don't pressure her to be someone she isn't or to do something she isn't ready for. There's no one we would rather have live with Kimberly, and she agreed wholeheartedly," he explains with a smile on his face, Trini taking the key in her hands like it's made of glass.

"You.. you guys are serious? You're willing to let me live in an apartment you're paying for?" Trini asks incredulously, trying not to sound ungrateful but she's entirely taken aback at the kind gesture that she can't help but be skeptical. When both Mr. and Mrs. Hart nod seriously, Trini can't stop herself from throwing her arms around them, hugging them tightly as she thanks them over and over again for everything they've done for her.

"It's nothing, sweetie," Mrs. Hart smiles. "You've been such an amazing friend to Kim, we just see this as a thank you from us to you." Trini can't wipe the smile off of her face as she stares at the key in her hands, Mr. Hart placing a supportive hand on her shoulder before telling her, "Go find Kimberly. She'll be excited to hear you said yes."

Trini nods seriously, bounding through the small mass of people in the dining room looking for Kimberly. When she doesn't see her, she looks back to Mr. Hart, who's smiling as he points towards the upstairs. Trini shoots him an awkward double thumbs up before running to the front of the house and bounding up the staircase, finding Kim sitting on a bed in a bright pink room.

Trini smiles as she leans against the doorframe, Kim turning her head and smiling at her when she notices her presence. Grinning excitedly, Trini lifts the key in her hand, the moonlight glinting off of it as she stares at Kimberly. "Hey, roomie."

Trini doesn't have to say any more than that, Kim understanding immediately what her words imply. The taller girl smiles widely, hops up off of her bed and closes the distance between the two of them before wrapping her arms tightly around Trini's shoulders. Trini laughs freely, her arms sliding around Kim's waist as she rocks the two of them back and forth while they hug.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for this," Trini mutters against Kim's shoulder, putting as much honesty and emotion into the words so that Kim knows just how much she means it. Kim just hugs her tighter, laughing softly into Trini's ear before muttering, "Merry Christmas, Trini."

Trini can't help the warmth growing in her chest as Kim speaks to her again, holding the girl impossibly closer as she whispers, "Merry Christmas, Kim."

-

The five friends head back to UCLA a couple days after Christmas, the guys wanting to help Trini and Kim move their things into their new apartment and use the new place to celebrate New Years together. Trini doesn't have much stuff, never really opting to do the whole interior decorating thing with her room. It takes her and Jason all of an hour to pack up all of her clothes, her bedding, and her minimal personal items into a few boxes and toss them into the bed of his truck. 

Trini turns in her key to the front desk of her housing unit before climbing into Jason's passenger seat, the two of them heading towards Kim's dorm to help Billy and Zack load the other girl's belongings into Jason's truck as well. Kim not so surprisingly has much more stuff than Trini, the shorter girl helping her label all of her boxes so she can set up her room in the new apartment much more smoothly as the guys take the boxes from Trini down to the truck. It takes two hours and a short ten minute break, but they manage to get it done.

The guys help bring all of the boxes up to Kim and Trini's new apartment, the five of them in awe of how nice it is inside, and head back to Billy's for the night, telling the girls to come join them when they finish unpacking. Mr. and Mrs. Hart were nice enough to buy both of them queen sized beds and Trini is nearly tempted to just take a nap instead of unpacking. Before she can crumble into a tired mess onto the mattress, Kim pins her with a stern look, knowing exactly what Trini is thinking, and Trini groans loudly.

" _ Fine _ . Suck the fun out of everything, damn," Trini teases, laughing when Kim sticks her tongue out at her in a childish manner as she helps Trini separate their piles of boxes into their rooms. It takes Trini very little time to unpack, especially when she realizes she's going to have to buy new sheets since the sheets she does have are for a twin bed, so she moves across the apartment to help Kim unpack her things.

She's halfway through a box of pictures and keepsakes when a picture catches her eye, grabbing the frame gently and pulling it out of the box for a closer look. It's a picture of Kim and another girl when she was younger, maybe 12 or 13, both of them smiling like idiots in their cheerleading uniforms. Kim stops what she's doing when she sees what Trini is holding, shifting back and forth on her feet anxiously.

"Is this Amanda?" Trini asks softly, not wanting to scare or worry Kim. The short haired brunette hesitates before nodding, her eyes looking anywhere but Trini as the shorter girl lets the gears in her head work. "Do you keep this to make yourself feel guilty?" Trini asks again, stepping a little closer to Kim as she does. The way Kim doesn't move, doesn't give any kind of indication that Trini's question is false, makes the Latina sigh softly, sitting down on Kim's bed and patting the spot next to her so the other girl sits with her.

"How many pictures of Amanda do you have?" Trini asks in a gentle tone. She's not angry at all with Kim, she has no right to be. But the fact that she's still suffering for a mistake she made years ago makes Trini's chest ache for the girl. Even worse when Kim holds up four fingers, still refusing to look Trini in the eyes. An idea pops into the shorter girl's head, unlocking her phone and scrolling through her photos before she finds the ones she's looking for.

"Come on," Trini stands, holding out her hand for Kim to take, albeit hesitantly. "I need to get new sheets and you need better pictures in your room." Kim finally looks her in the eyes, a small but thankful smile on her lips as she stands and follows Trini out of their apartment and down the street to a small store, Kim buying the two of them sheets while Trini prints out her photos. The short girl almost punches Kim for trying to buy her yellow sheets instead of black, Kim compromising by making her buy a yellow accent pillow for her bed.

Once they reach their apartment (Trini still can't get over the fact that her and Kim have an apartment  _ together _ ), Trini finds the picture frames with Amanda in them and fills them with different photos; a selfie Zack took of all of them back in the mountains of Angel Grove, a picture of Jason and Billy posing like they're tough guys in Billy's dorm, a selfie of Trini, Zack, and Kim from one of their many Krispy Kreme outings, and a picture of just Trini that Kim took when Trini was laughing embarrassingly hard at a joke Jason tried and failed to tell.

"There, much better," Trini smiles as she hangs up the last of the picture frames. After admiring her handiwork, she turns to Kim. "Look, I don't know everything that went down with Amanda, but I can tell you're not that person anymore. Constantly reminding yourself about what you did, despite making an effort to be a better person, isn't healthy for you. This Kim, the Kim you are right now; she's perfect. She listens to Billy ramble, she laughs at all of Jason's terrible jokes, she holds Zack when he misses his mom. You're so much more than you think you are and I don't want you overlooking that because you're trying to guilt yourself for the rest of your life."

Kim's nearly crying when Trini finishes her little ramble, pulling Trini into her arms and just hugging her. Trini doesn't need words to know that Kim is thankful, that she needed to hear that, just hugs her back tightly before pulling away. "What ever happened between you guys anyways? If you don't mind me asking," Trini asks hesitantly, watching Kim pull out her phone and type a message before sending it, Trini feeling her own phone vibrate in her back pocket before pulling it out.

**Kim: I'll tell you someday soon. Like actually tell you.**

Trini looks up from the text at Kim, who's smiling almost guiltily at her. Trini just smiles, shakes her head. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, you know I'll never pressure you to talk or tell me anything. Just tell me when you're ready, okay? I promise I can wait." Kim nods at Trini's words, smiling gratefully at her before the two give up on unpacking Kim's room entirely and head to Billy's for pizza and cartoons.

-

Two days later, Trini opens the door to her and Kim's apartment to reveal three very excited boys on the other side, Zack nearly shoving Trini to the side to bring the alcohol he bought inside. Jason is much more hospitable, smiling down at Trini and hugging her tightly despite the bags of chips draped over his arms. Billy gives Trini a quick wave, the shorter girl laughing and offering her fist for him to bump before letting him inside.

Kim and Trini had bought a bunch of finger foods, ranging anywhere from a veggie plate to pizza rolls, and had set them all up on the dining room table before the boys got there. Jason makes quick work of adding his bags of chips to the feast, immediately grabbing a whole bag of potato chips and the chip dip before bolting to the couch. Billy takes his sweet time finding the foods he wants, eventually settling with the entire veggie tray and a few brownies, sitting on the floor in front of Jason so he can utilize the large coffee table.

"So, Crazy Girl," Zack slides next to Trini, putting an arm around her shoulders that she immediately tries to squirm away from. "What are we drinking tonight? You feeling classy like champagne or trashy like Burnett's?" He asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows, Trini shoving him in the chest as she laughs loudly.

"I already got a head start on you, homeboy," Trini giggles, raising the glass in her hand to show Zack that it's nearly empty. "You better pick your poison and catch up!" Zack smirks, seeing the request as a challenge and grabs the nearest bottle of vodka he can reach, whipping up some concoction with the cherry bur-nasty and some sprite. Lifting his drink to Trini, he proposes a toast to just the two of them.

"To the craziest two of the bunch," he says with such promise and happiness that Trini can't help but mirror his smile. "May we always be friends even if we want to strangle each other sometimes, and may we always bring out the crazy in our friends." Trini cheers in agreement, tapping their glasses together and downing the rest of her drink. Zack just shakes his head at her, an amused smile playing at his lips, before messing up her hair and grabbing the bag of Doritos.

"If one of y'all fuckers messes up my hair one more time we're gonna have to fight!" Trini yells, despite the fact that they all know, including her, that she loves it. Kim chooses that exact moment to walk out of her room, smiling down at Trini before messing up her hair and giving her a look that says 'what are you gonna do about it?'. Trini, knowing she could never lay a hand on the taller girl with pretty eyes, just rolls her eyes playfully and grabs the plate of pizza rolls, sitting down on the couch beside Jason and curling against him, Kim following suit and sitting beside her.

They spend the better part of the next hour making fun of the news reporter while watching the pre-ball-drop show, all of them getting significantly more intoxicated as time passes on. It isn't until 11:30 that Zack sits up from the armchair and mutes the TV, all of their eyes trained on the brunette boy as his eyes are trained downward.

"I just wanted to say thank you, to you guys," he says softly, gesturing to Jason, Billy, and Trini where they're sat on the couch. "You guys are the best friends a guy could ask for. I mean yeah, I have Kim and Kim is like, the best friend ever. After my mom died I.. I had nothing. But Kim stayed by my side and then I met Trini and then you guys and.. and I'm glad you guys came into my life." He pauses briefly, all of them smiling softly at him as he holds back tears. "I think being with you guys is good for me."

Trini is on her feet first, planting herself in Zack's lap bridal style as she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Jason and Billy follow suit, sort of hovering over him as the make one big group hug. Kim is last, smiling down at Zack in a knowing sort of way that has Zack smiling too and putting his hand out to pull her into the hug. They're silent for a few moments before Zack sniffles, muttering, "Alright I love you guys but it's hot as fuck under this group huddle."

Just like that, everything is back to normal, all of them laughing at the remark and moving back to their original seats. The clock on the television tells them they have seven minutes until New Year's and Kim (being the least intoxicated of them all) cracks open the bottle of champagne, pouring each of them a glass in their color coordinated glasses. 

(Trini will never admit it was her idea as she watches Kim hand Jason his red glass, Billy his blue one, Trini her yellow one, Zack his black one, and keeps the pink one for herself.)

"To us!" Jason yells as the clock hits thirty seconds. Everyone echoes his shout before he continues, "Nothing in the universe can break us apart!" Billy quickly taps Jason's shoulder, indicating that there's ten seconds left on the clock. The four of them count down way too loudly, Kim just counting down with her fingers, watching as the clock goes from three, two, one-

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They all shout save for Kim, Zack pulling the string on one of those confetti poppers he apparently had hidden in his pockets the whole time. Trini's smile is borderline painful as she runs around hugging all of them, unintentionally (definitely intentionally) hugging Kim the tightest and the longest. The taller girl doesn't seem to mind, hugs back just as hard, and Trini thinks that this is what family is supposed to feel like.

Once the initial hype of the new year settles down and the rest of them have returned to the couch, watching reruns of Futurama episodes just for shits and giggles, Kim stands up between the kitchen and the living room, rocking on the balls of her feet nervously.

"Kim?" Trini asks softly, leaning up to grab the remote and pause Netflix. The guys turn their heads to look at the other girl as well, tilting their heads as Trini asks. "You okay?"

Kim nods once a little too quickly, playing with her hands in a way that Trini knows means she's nervous. Her eyes are trained on the floor, her bottom lip lodged between her teeth, and her chest is moving up and down in relation to her deep breaths. No one say anything, a little unsure of what's going on, when Kim lets out a shaky breath, looks up at them, and-

"Happy New Year, guys."

The jaws of the boys drop, absolutely stunned to hear Kimberly Hart speak for the first time in years, but Kim's eyes are trained on Trini, who's nearly beaming at her best friend for taking that first step on her own time. "Happy New Year, Kim," Trini says with a face splitting smile, waiting for the guys to gather themselves before they all start yelling at the same time.

"Kimberly Hart talked! Happy New Year, Kimberly Hart! You have a beautiful voice-" Billy starts to ramble, clapping his hands excitedly.

"I uh- Happy New Year to you too, Kim!" Jason says after a lot of stuttering, smiling to hide the embarrassed flush on his cheeks.

Zack doesn't say anything, just leaps up onto his feet and pulls Kim into a bone crushing hug. Kim's eyes widen at the force of the hug but relax into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Zack's neck and Trini can tell by the shake of his chest that he's crying. She can very vaguely hear Zack mutter against her neck that he's so happy for her, can see the relieved look on Kim's face as she lets a few of her own tears fall. 

"I love you fuckers!" Trini yells, instead of bringing attention to the moment Kim and Zack are having. Kim laughs through her tears at Trini, mouthing 'thank you' to the girl in yellow, while Jason and Billy whoop excitedly and Zack wipes his tears from his face. "I love you too, Crazy Girl!" He yells as he runs towards her, dead weight-ing on top of her while the others laugh at her pain.

-

It takes a little while for Trini to get used to living with Kim. Not necessarily because it's so different than hanging out in one of their dorms or because it puts a different dynamic on their friendship. No, it's because Trini is still hopelessly crushing on her best friend, that she sees in little to no clothing almost every day when Kim walks out her room to go work out. Trini can barely wipe the metaphorical drool off of her lip when she sees Kim's abdominal muscles move under her skin.

But it works. Trini's learned to read Kim like a book, knows just what she needs by the look on her face or her body language. Kim knows just when Trini needs something too; throwing a candy bar at her face when she's on her period or patting the couch when Trini looks upset so she can just listen to her rant. It works, they work.

Trini has to continuously push down the thought of how domestic it all is in favor of her friendship with Kim.

The sound of the keys being inserted into the lock of her apartment has Trini's head lifting up off of her knees, looking away from the TV towards the door as Kim walks inside, nearly slamming the door behind her. Trini frowns at the sound, folding the blanket over her knees and patting the uncovered cushion beside her. Kim makes her way over to Trini with a small pout on her lips, falling immediately into Trini's embrace.

Trini pulls the blanket over Kim's legs, draping her arm across the taller girl's shoulders and pulling her closer to her own body. It's quiet for a few minutes, the sound of the TV filling the room with an almost white noise as Trini runs her thumb across Kim's skin. "Rough day?" Trini breaks the silence with a soft, almost whisper-like voice.

"Yeah," Kim whispers, so softly that Trini almost doesn't hear it. While Trini feels her chest bloom with warmth at the fact that Kim is opening up to her, talking to her more, she can't help but feel the worry course through her veins at the taller girl's confession.

"Anyone I have to kill? I know Tai Chi, I'll kick their ass," Trini jokes, trying to cheer up the girl beside her. Kim shuffles closer to Trini, burying her head in the crook of the shorter girl's neck and sighing softly. Trini has to remind herself to stop being a gay mess and comfort her friend, taking a deep breath to relax.

"I punched his tooth out," Kim says softly, chuckling at the end of her sentence. Trini's eyebrows raise dramatically, leaning a little bit away from Kim to look down at her. The taller girl looks up at her, eyes sparkling with amusement when Trini's face shifts from surprised to impressed. 

"Damn princess, didn't think you had it in you." An afterthought has Trini's lips turning downward in worry, grabbing Kim's hands from under the blanket and bringing them up where she can see.

Her left hand is fine, thankfully, but the knuckles on her right hand are busted, dry blood caked over the cuts. Trini's frown deepens, looking up at Kim to see a guilty look on her face. She shakes her head, tapping Kim's knuckles with her palm. "I'm gonna get the first aid kit, okay?" Kim nods, remaining where she is as Trini walks to the bathroom, coming back with a small first aid box.

"You're brave princess, but you're still stupid," Trini shakes her head with a breathy laugh, putting some antiseptic on a piece of gauze. "This is gonna hurt, need something to hold?" Kim shakes her head, grabbing Trini's forearm with her left hand as Trini applies the antiseptic to her cut, hissing slightly at the pain. Trini apologizes under her breath, making sure to clean all of the blood off of her hands and the dirt from the wounds, patching her up with a few bandaids.

"There we go, good as.." Trini trails off as she looks up at Kim, not realizing how close they had gotten while she was cleaning Kim's knuckles. "..new," she whispers the last word, swallowing thickly as Kim smiles down at her. Shaking her head quickly, she stands up on her feet, taking a unsteady breath as she puts the first aid kit away. When she gets back to the couch Kim has her arms out, opening and closing her hands in a way that has Trini chuckling at the girl and falling back against her.

"Thank you," Kim whispers after a while of watching TV, Trini looking at her with furrowed eyebrows. "For not treating me different." The shorter girl frowns, wrapping both of her arms around Kim's shoulders and holding her tight against her chest. She can't help but think about what Kim's been treated like in the past, what people have said or done to her because of her lack of desire to speak. Her blood boils but she puts it aside to focus on the girl in her arms.

"I've been made fun of and tossed aside for being different," Trini says softly, "I'm not about to become the people that have done that to me. And besides, the people who treat you different will never find out how amazing you are. I'm lucky to know you, Kim." And God does Trini mean those last words. Kim's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, looking up at Trini from her place on the shorter girl's shoulder.

Trini's at a loss for what the girl is trying to imply when it hits her, laughing slightly at the realization that she never told Kim what had happened with her parents. "You know I got kicked out for coming out to my parents, right?" Kim's eyes widen, and Trini's almost afraid that Kim's going to be disgusted with her. But then she remembers that Zack is pansexual, so the girl can't be that much of a hypocrite.

"You're gay?" Kim asks quietly, no judgement in her voice at all. Trini smiles awkwardly as she nods, not used to coming out to people, definitely not the girl she's pining for. But Kim just smiles wider than ever, wrapping her arms around Trini's waist and hugging her tightly. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me," she mutters against Trini's skin, the shorter girl's chest exploding with emotion as she smiles down at Kim.

"Yeah well, Zack has already claimed his position as my wingman so you're unfortunately a little too late for that position," Trini jokes, melting at the way Kim laughs, how her breath hits her skin, and God she's going to have a gay panic if this girl stays this close for any longer. "Zack actually helped me.. figure all of this out. He's a real good friend, I'm glad he had your back these last few years."

"He helped me too," Kim says softly, snuggling a little closer to Trini's warmth. "After he came out to me, he helped me come out to my parents."

Trini's breath hitches. There's no way Kim is.. could she be? Kim must have heard her, must be scared of her reaction despite the fact that she just came out to her. Trini just shakes her head, "Sorry I just.. never pictured you to play for the other team. Not that that's a bad thing!" Trini stutters, trying to salvage the mess she might have made, but Kim just chuckles at her, shaking her head.

"I play for both teams, but thanks for assuming," she says with a playful tone, nudging Trini with her shoulder to calm her down. 

Trini just shakes her head, a breathy laugh passing from her lips, "I'm still new to this, leave me the hell alone Hart." Kim laughs louder, full on shoving Trini this time and Trini isn't expecting it to be so hard and suddenly her back is hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Oh my god! I'm so-" Kim tries to apologizes but Trini is laughing uncontrollably, no sound coming out of her mouth as she rolls around on the floor, clapping her hands together slowly like a seal would. The sight has Kim laughing too, the apartment being filled with sounds of humor and joy and Trini can't imagine what it would be like living without Kimberly Hart in her life.

-

Trini doesn't mean for anyone to find her like this. Curled up in her bed, loosely holding onto the envelope in her hands while tears stream down her face. It was two letters; one from her brothers and one from her parents. Her brothers told her how much they missed her and how they hoped college was going well, how they couldn't wait to see her again. The letter from her parents (mostly her mother) told her that she would be coming to her new address in a few days with all of her belongings from home.

It shouldn't affect her this much. Her parents kicked her out, yeah, but it turned out to be for the better. Her friends and their parents love and accept her more than enough to replace her own, and she has a new place to live doesn't make her feel like she's living in a prison. It's perfect, more than perfect. So why is she crying right now?

"Hey Trini! Billy lent me his spare key so I could get-" Jason's greeting is cut off when he enters Trini's room, sees the girl shaking with quiet sobs. His response is immediate; dropping his backpack onto the floor and rounding the bed so he can lay on the free side of the mattress. Gently as he can, he rolls Trini over towards him, scooping her up into his arms and holding her tight while she cries.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay," he whispers softly into the air, running his hands through the unbraided portion of Trini's hair, not wanting to mess up the structure. Trini grabs onto the front of his shirt, balls it in her hands in a desperate way to ground herself, the smell of the blue eyed boy's shirt keeping her sane. Eventually her tears subside, the shorter girl rubbing her nose with the sleeve of her shirt and the fallen tears on her cheek with her fingers.

"What's going on, T?" Jason asks quietly, not wanting to pressure her but also needing her to open up so she doesn't crawl into herself. Trini just sniffles, shrugs, and hands Jason the letters. He reads the letter from the twins with a sad smile on his face, knowing how much Trini loves them. He reads the one from her parents next, his smile falling into a stoic expression. "The guys and I will help you get it all up here. Do you need a storage unit? My parents have one in Angel Grove."

"No it's.. it's not a lot of stuff. I took most of my personal stuff with me to college," Trini explains, her voice cracking from how much she had been crying. "It'll most likely just be whatever clothes I left in the closet and random pictures left throughout the house." Trini's more scared of having to deal with her mother throughout the whole ordeal.

Jason must be able to sense her fear, because he squeezes her just a little tighter. "I'll be here to get you through it, if you'd like. Billy, Zack, and Kim will want to be here, too," he says encouragingly. "We have your back, T. No matter what." Trini smiles up at him, sets her head on his chest and takes a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.

"Hey Kim," Jason says above her, can hear the smile in his voice. She can't see Kim, but when she feels the bed dip behind her, feels another set of arms around her, Trini knows that Kim and Jason had a nonverbal conversation about Trini being upset. She doesn't mind, honestly. Being surrounded by two of the most important people in her life makes her feel safer, happier. She can feel Jason hand Kim the letters, can hear the subtle sound of paper as Kim reads through them.

"Trini's mom will be here with her stuff eventually. I was planning on being here to help Trini through it, you in?" Jason asks Kim. Trini can feel Kim nod adamantly behind her before her arms are around the small Latina once again. Jason shifts out of Trini's grip, the latter whining about the lack of warmth, and Jason just chuckles and ruffles her hair.

"I just came here to grab my textbook that I left when we were studying. Unfortunately, I have class in ten minutes," he explains with an amused smile on his lips. "I'll come back later if you want?"

"Bring the guys, too. I miss them," Trini says softly, turning her body around and burying her face in the crook of Kim's neck. Jason just shakes his head softly, a glint of endearment in his eyes as he heads out, shouting a goodbye to Trini and Kim as he closes the apartment door behind him. Kim and Trini don't move, not for a while. Trini doesn't want to get up and she figures Kim is warm or doesn't want to leave her side.

"We're here for you, okay?" Kim says softly, running her hands through Trini's hair like Jason had. Trini nods against Kim's neck, pulls back softly so she can sit cross-legged on her bed next to Kim. Kim follows suit, sitting across from Trini so that they're facing each other.

"Can I ask you something?" Trini asks quietly, a little nervous about the question she has in mind, about the answer that could come from it. Kim nods once, a little hesitant about what it is that Trini could be asking her. The shorter girl takes a small breath, looking Kim in the eyes as she asks, "Why do you only really talk to me?"

Kim seems relieved at the question, like she was waiting for Trini to ask something so much worse. She shrugs slightly, looking at Trini with the corner of her lip quirked up slightly and her head tilted slightly to the side. "I trust you," she says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"What about Zack?" Trini finds herself asking despite herself. "Why me and not him?"

Kim seems to take a second to think about the question, to formulate the answer she's trying to find. She sighs slightly as she comes to a conclusion. "I love him but you saw how he was at New Years. How over the top he was."

"It's just because he loves you, you know," Trini says with a small smile, no negativity behind the statement at all. "He's seen you go from cheerleader to badass rebel to quiet. He's been there for you through a lot, so he's probably just excited to see you change again, for the better I might add."

"I think that's why I talk to you," Kim says after a few beats of silence, her fingers playing with the fraying seams of Trini's comforter. "You didn't treat me any different when I first spoke to you, didn't try to make me talk more just because I spoke once."

"I mean, that's just common sense to me," Trini shrugs, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "This is your life, you should live it at whatever pace you choose. Who am I to tell you you need to live your own life differently?" Kim smiles at Trini's words, leans forward to hug her albeit a bit awkwardly because of how they're sitting.

"Thank you."

-

The day her mother comes is full of stress for Trini. From the moment she wakes up she's shaky, anxious, ready for the day to just end. But she knows she has to do this, has to show her mother she's fine without them so that June can't hold it over her. So she throws on a pair of jeans, a black hoodie, and her favorite yellow beanie and heads out into the kitchen.

Kim wordlessly hands her a cup of coffee, Trini smiling at her gratefully as she downs the mug in one go. Kim looks at her with her eyebrows raised, clearly impressed and concerned by Trini's behavior. Trini just shrugs, says, "I'm nervous, leave me alone." Kim just smiles slightly, shakes her head as she mumbles, "Never."

An alert on Trini's phone lets her know that the boys are on their way upstairs, the shorter girl reading the text to Kim so she's aware as well. No more than thirty seconds later, there's a knock on her door, and Trini smiles as she goes to open it. "Hey guys, what's-"

The guys are most definitely not at her door, her mother standing outside her apartment with a stoic face. Despite giving away no emotion, Trini can tell she's upset and disappointed and it takes everything in her not to shrink under her mother's judgmental gaze. "Hello, Trinity."

"June," Trini says flatly. She can hear some noise from the kitchen, turning to see Kim peeking her head around the wall to watch the interaction. "This is Kim, though I doubt you care all that much."

"Do not disrespect me like this, Trinity," June says sternly. "You may not live under my roof but you are still my daughter." Trini can't contain the humorless bark of laughter that spills from her lips, rolling her eyes at her mother's words.

" _ Actually _ I'm not. You made that pretty clear at dinner,  _ June _ ," Trini bites back, breathing a quiet sigh of relief when the guys appear down the hallway behind her. "Hey guys, the silver Hundai Tuscon parked on the curb is June's here. Grab my stuff out of it, will you?" Trini says to them, grabbing the keys from her mother's hands and tossing them to Zack, who nods quickly and takes the guys back downstairs.

June scoffs and walks past Trini, entering her apartment without her permission. Trini just rolls her eyes and follows her, leaving the door open for the guys when they come back up with her things. "Well at least you have..  _ decent _ accommodations," June says in that judgmental tone of hers.

"Accommodations that you weren't invited into," Trini sasses, crossing her arms defensively across her chest. June turns to her with a shocked look on her face, clearly offended. Like Trini has a single fuck to give about what this woman thinks of her anymore. With a huff, June turns, continuing to look around. Her eyes land on the kitchen, where Kim is quietly sipping on her coffee.

"What, is she just going to ignore a guest in her home?" June says with a disbelieving huff of air, gesturing to the taller girl. Trini's blood begins to boil, because Kim doesn't deserve this. Definitely not from her asshole of a mother. Trini looks to Kim, whose eyes are slightly widened and filled with trepidation.

"Leave her alone," Trini says sternly, praying June will just listen to her for once in her life. Naturally that isn't the case, as June's eyes flicker between Trini and Kim, filling with something that looks a lot like realization and Trini starts to panic when she understands what her mother might be thinking.

June lets out a humorless laugh, more like a breath of air than anything, as she turns to Trini. "I've heard you speak more here than you ever did at home. Of course you would be living your life of infidelity with this.. with this  _ mute _ ."

Trini's entire body freezes, fills with anger and guilt and every other negative emotion she can feel towards her mother. Her eyes move to Kim again, who's shaking slightly and Trini can tell the girl is about to have a panic attack from the attention. Trini wants more than anything to go to her, to hold her and comfort her, but she wants to bitch out her mother first. Thankfully, the guys come up the stairs right at that moment with all of Trini's things.

"Get out of my apartment," Trini says flatly, her voice surprisingly calm for how angry she feels inside.

"Not until this  _ niña irrespetuosa _ greets me-"

"Get the  _ fuck _ out of my apartment, June!" Trini yells, cutting the woman in front of her off. The woman who was supposed to be her mother, who was supposed to love her unconditionally. The woman who kicked her out of her own house because she wasn't following the carefully constructed plan she had for her life.

Trini's outburst must have triggered something in Kimberly, the taller girl setting down her coffee mug and quickly making her way out of the apartment. Trini mutters a quiet expletive under her breath, running her hands through her hair. She looks up at June, who looks almost smug over what she's done. Trini grabs the woman by her wrist and pulls her towards the door, nearly throwing her out of it. "Never come back," she says, gesturing for Zack to give her June's keys and shoving them against the woman's chest before slamming the door in her face.

The minute the door is shut Trini feels like she can breathe again, until she turns around and sees the guys all looking at her worriedly. Trini sighs, fights back the angry tears she feels stinging at her eyes. She moves in front of Zack in a few short steps, looking up at him as she asks, "Where would Kim have gone?"

"There's a botanical garden on the other side of campus, near the school of dentistry," Zack says quickly, Trini nodding as she pulls her shoes on and grabs a pair of Kim's so the girl doesn't have to walk barefoot back. "There's two paths, she usually hides under the biggest tree between them."

"Thank you so much," Trini breaths out as she moves towards the door, hesitating before grabbing a jacket for Kim just incase. "You guys stay here. Order food, watch TV, I don't care. I'll let you know when I find her, okay?" The three boys nod, Billy stepping forward and placing a comforting hand on Trini's shoulder. The two of them have a nonverbal conversation with their eyes, both nodding before Trini opens the door and heads out after Kim.

"What did you guys just talk about with that ESP there?" She hears Zack ask Billy when the door shuts. She laughs a little when she hears Billy say, "I told her it'll be okay and I love her." Trini will never stop being amazed that an amazing person like Billy Cranston is her best friend, and she smiles to herself as she heads towards the botanical gardens.

Kim is relatively easy to find, sitting under a tree in a bright pink tank top as she shakes with anxiety. Trini bolts into a run when she sees her, sliding on the ground to sit beside Kim. The taller girl jumps in fear at the sound, but relaxes immediately when she notices that Trini is the one beside her. Trini doesn't say anything as she puts the shoes in her hands on Kim's feet, draping the jacket over her shoulders before pulling Kim into her arms.

"I'm so sorry that my mom is such a maniacal bitch," Trini mutters against Kim's hair, kissing her temple softly as she holds the panicking girl in her arms. "Come on, Kim. Deep breaths with me. You can do this. Inhale," Trini takes a deep breath, feeling Kim try to do it with her despite how in her head she is. "Exhale," Trini lets her breath out slowly, Kim's exhale much more shaky and labored. "That's perfect. Keep doing that with me."

It takes a few minutes of deep breathing until Trini feels Kim relaxing in her arms, her shaky panic turning into tears as she sobs against Trini's neck. The Latina can literally feel her heart break at the sound of Kim's cries, and she doesn't know how to help besides continuing to hold her and tell her that she's there with her, for her.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry-" Kim tries to say between cries, her chest shaking with the sheer force of her sobs. "I-I said I w-w-wouldn't l-leave you and I d-d-did!" Kim sobs, her voice being overcome by tears. Trini frowns, pulls Kim a little closer to her, kissing her temple again before shaking her head.

"No, no  _ princesa _ you did nothing wrong," Trini says softly against Kim's hair. "Your personal health matters more to me and my mom is a huge bitch who can't understand that people are different than her. I don't blame you for leaving, honestly," Trini chuckles as she says her last sentence, feeling Kim's sobs subside to whimpers as she speaks.

"So y-you're not.. m-mad?" Kim asks softly, lifting her head so she can look Trini in the eyes, the shorter girl's chest aching at her bloodshot eyes and blotchy red face. Shaking her head, Trini places a kiss between Kim's eyebrows, trying to soothe the girl in her arms.

"It would take a lot more for you to piss me off,  _ princesa _ ," Trini confesses honestly against the skin of Kim's forehead. Before she forgets, Trini pulls out her phone to send their group chat a message.

**Tiny T: i've got kim, she's safe but she's a little shaken up**

**Azzhole: not stirred?**

**Clifford: Not the time, man**

**Azzhole: i know im sorry**

**Azzhole: tell kim i love her**

**Lil Bill: We also bought pizza and I've filled lots of cups with water so that Kimberly Hart can hydrate when she returns with you**

**Tiny T: you're the absolute best, billy cranston**

**Lil Bill: :D**

"The boys bought us pizza and Billy has a lot of water ready for you to chug," Trini tells Kim, the girl in her arms chuckling softly at the thought of Billy just surrounded by water bottles. "You think you're up for the walk back?" Kim nods once, standing a bit wobbly with the help of Trini and the two girls make their way back to the apartment in comfortable silence.

Billy opens the door to their apartment when they get there, a cup of water already in his hands to give to Kim. She smiles thankfully, downing the cup in one go before handing it to Trini. She turns back to the dark skinned boy, hesitating before asking, "Can I hug you, Billy?"

Billy's face lights up in excitement and happiness, immediately engulfing Kim in his arms. Trini can't help but laugh at the look on Kim's face before she hugs back, completely surprised and amused all at the same time. "Thank you," Kim whispers to him, the boy nodding enthusiastically before pulling away from the embrace.

-

January moves relatively slow, with classes starting back up and Trini wanting to bash her head into a wall, but everything is relatively the same. They all still have classes together, Trini and Kim still have Krispy Kreme runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays despite living together, and they all still hang out and love each other like family, Well, most of them. Trini is still rooting for Jason to get his head out of his ass and ask Billy out on a date, and Trini is in way too deep with Kim. But everything is as it was.

Trini and Kim are heading back to their apartment after fighting over the last piece of cake in Krispy Kreme, Kim laughing quietly at something Trini said, and Trini can't keep the smile off of her face. It baffles her that she gets to be friends with Kimberly Hart, that she gets to live with her and see a side of her that no one really ever has. It makes her feel special and it doesn't help her at all with her feelings for the taller girl with pretty eyes.

"Hey Kimmy! Did you like the note I left on your door last week?" Trini hears a girl with a higher pitched voice shout from behind them, can feel the way Kim tenses up at the sound of the voice, and turns to see Amanda Clark in all of her bitchy glory, smirking deviously at Kim.

"You mean the door she doesn't live behind anymore?" Trini asks with heavy sarcasm, turning to face the blonde. Amanda seems to look her over with judgmental eyes, grimacing slightly when she finishes her one over of Trini.

"And who are  _ you _ supposed to be?" Amanda says with that cocky, stuck up bitch tone of voice that Trini has grown to hate from all of the high schools she moved through. God, she thought coming to college was supposed to be the end of all of this petty bullshit, but she guesses not.

"Someone who  _ really _ wants to kick your ass," Trini crosses her arms across her chest defensively. She hasn't moved once from Kim's side, who is still faced towards the way they were walking and not Amanda, and as much as Trini wants to hug her and comfort her, she  _ really _ wants to tear Amanda a new one.

"Why kick my ass when the real monster is right next to you?" Amanda says with a faux innocent voice, some pretend pout plastered on her face. Trini can feel Kim tense up next to her at Amanda's words and can feel herself getting incredibly pissed off.

"You have no idea what you did to her, do you?" Trini steps forwards just a little, so that Kim is still next to her but Amanda knows she's serious. The blonde is maybe five feet away from her but Trini knows she can cover that distance in about three steps and kick this girl's ass.

Amanda scoffs and laughs simultaneously, an arrogant smile on her face. "Whatever it was, I can tell you right now she deserved it.

_ "Deserved it?" _ Trini can't help the way the pitch of her voice increases from sheer disbelief. "For what? Sending a nude because her best friend was sleeping with her boyfriend behind her back?"

"She ruined my life!" Amanda shouts angrily, taking a step closer to Trini, who lets out a humorless laugh at the blonde's words.

"You mean she ruined your reputation for all of five seconds," Trini corrects her sternly. "Tell me, Amanda: are you still known as the girl in the nude?"

Amanda seems taken aback by the question, hesitates to find the right words to win the argument. Her pause continues, Trini looking at her expectantly as she waits for an answer. "Well, no, but-"

"And did she apologize?" Trini asks, cutting off whatever bullshit excuse the blonde bitch was going to pull out of her ass.

"She still sent the nude-"

"Answer the question, Amanda," Trini cuts her off, the volume of her voice increasing. She shifts on her feet slightly, leaning some of her weight into the taller girl beside her so that she could offer her some kind of comfort. "Did she or did she not apologize?"

Amanda looks down at her feet, mumbling, "Yes."

"And yet, despite the fact that your life is fine, you still torment her," Trini says flatly, the only thing keeping her from trying to kick Amanda's ass being the feeling of fingers wrapping around the back of her bicep where Amanda can't see. "Fucking get over yourself, this isn't high school anymore. And for the record, your life was  _ definitely _ ruined when you took everything from Kim so you could become head bitch of Angel Grove."

"Who the fuck are you to say this shit to me?" Amanda tries to get on the offensive, knowing that Trini is winning this argument. The thought makes Trini smirk slightly. "Are you her bitch or something? She can talk for herself, you know."

" _ Actually _ , Amanda, she can't," Trini says, her voice hard and assertive, watching the confusion flash across the tall blonde's features. "See, I don't know what you did to her, but Kim hasn't spoken a single word in three years." Trini can see Amanda's tough bitch facade crack slightly at the revealed truth. " _ You _ ruined  _ her _ life because you're a petty bitch. You did something so fucked up that it affected her mentally and psychologically, and you were the last person to hear her speak."

Trini knows she's lying, but Amanda doesn't deserve to know that Kim is recovering. Doesn't deserve to know anything about Kim. She'll apologize to Kim later for omitting the truth, but right now she's too deep in her rage fest to care. "So fuck you, Amanda. I hope you're happy with being the biggest bitch to ever come out of Angel Grove."

Trini turns away, gently grabbing onto Kim's bicep to pull the taller girl with her and away from that crazy bitch behind them. They make it about three steps when Amanda thinks she can be smart, thinks she can get the last word in by muttering, "Whatever, brown bitch had it coming."

Trini could handle the bullshit Amanda was spewing, could handle her bitchy attitude, without trying to take a swing at her. But Trini has dealt with racism her whole life, and she's not about to let this privileged white bitch try to tear Kim down for who she is, for the color of her skin. 

Without any warning, Trini lets go of Kim's arm and turns back around, walking towards Amanda who is now walking the opposite direction. She grabs the blonde's shoulder, Amanda opening her mouth to yell something, and before anyone even knows what's happening, Trini punches her square in the jaw, the girl falling to the ground with a sharp cry.

"Keep talking, I fucking dare you," Trini huffs, resisting the urge to shake out the pain she feels in her fist. Amanda looks up at her from the ground with fear written all over her face. "That's what I thought," Trini laughs humorlessly. She takes a second to squat down beside the blonde, looking her dead in the eyes as she says, "Never talk to me or Kimberly ever again, or I  _ will _ make you regret it."

Amanda nods once, and Trini stands up from her squat to move back towards Kim, slipping her arm in the crook of the taller girl's elbow and walking away. The girl is looking down at her phone, so Trini knows to grab hers out and await the text from her as they make their way towards their apartment.

**Kim: I have talked in the last three years. To you specifically.**

"Yeah well, she doesn't deserve to know that," Trini shrugs, a small smirk on her face. A smile breaks out on Kim's face, the girl looking around as though someone would be looking at them, and when her eyes meet Trini's again she lets out this adorable laugh that has Trini's heart stuttering in her chest. God, she's whipped.

They reach their apartment in relative silence, the sun almost completely below the horizon as Trini throws her backpack against the wall of her bedroom, walking back out into the kitchen for one of the cookies that Kim tries to hide but Trini inevitably always finds. Just as she's putting one in her mouth, she turns to see Kim staring at her with the corner of her lip quirked in amusement from the other side of the bar styled counter.

Trini stares back at her, her mouth still wide open and the cookie hanging in the air between her lips. Immediately, Trini frowns, biting into the cookie defiantly. "You can't just leave them there and not expect me to take them, Kimberly middle-name Hart."

Kim just rolls her eyes, a warm smile on her lips. "It's Ann, you poor excuse for a best friend." Trini gasps loudly despite the cookie in her mouth, placing a hand on her chest as though she's offended.

"I just hit a bitch for you!" Trini yells as she chews the cookie and Kim lets out a loud laugh, Trini following immediately after with a uninhibited laugh of her own. As their laughter dies down, Kim flashes Trini a small, shy smile. "Can I.. Can we talk?"

Trini nods immediately, pausing to look down at her clothes. The flannel she's wearing was comfortable enough, but the jeans are making her want to die with how uncomfortable that they're getting. "Can I change first? These skinny jeans are cutting off my circulation."

Trini tries, lord does she try not to notice the way Kim's eyes flicker down to her pants. It does not help that Trini is turned halfway towards her room already so Kim is checking out her side view and consequently her entire ass. Her eyes come back up, blushing when she notices Trini staring at her, and nods once.

Trini moves quickly to her room, feeling a breath of relief pass through her lips when she's out of Kimberly's sight. She sheds herself of the black skinny jeans she had worn all day, replacing them with a pair of athletic shorts, then she replaces the flannel on her upper body with a baggy UCLA sweatshirt (that she most definitely did not steal from Kim). Without delaying any longer, she makes her way back over to Kim's room, the girl sitting on her bed playing with her fingers nervously.

"Kim? You okay?" Trini asks softly, the mattress dipping beneath her as she sits down beside the short haired girl. Kim gives her a terse nod, visibly nervous in the presence of the other girl. Trini frowns slightly, taking Kim's busy hands into her own to stop their movements, the other girl looking at her worriedly in the process. "It's just me, okay?"

Kim nods again, a little slower than the first, and lets out a long, shaky breath. Trini stares at her intently, making sure to pay attention to whatever the girl beside her will say. "I.. I'm sure Zack told you a little bit about high school. How the Amanda thing happened, how I stopped caring what people thought about me, and.. and how I stopped talking."

Trini nods, not wanting to say anything to interrupt Kim's train of thought. The girl is staring at their conjoined hands, either too nervous to look up at Trini or trying to collect her thoughts, as she bites on her bottom lip. "Amanda wasn't exactly thrilled that I took the fall from grace in stride, I guess. Apparently taking my social status and my boyfriend didn't cut it for her. So one day she tried going after Zack, since he was the only friend I had."

"I would like to point out that as annoying as he is, I would've kicked some serious ass for him," Trini cuts in softly, successfully making the girl in front of her laugh before her eyes glaze over with some emotion Trini can't pinpoint.

"That's what I tried to do," Kim says softly. "I went straight to Amanda alone, tried to cuss her out, threaten her, anything I could think of. But she was surrounded by her lackeys, and they just kept taunting me and pissing me off."

Kim takes a pause, looking up at Trini with a small, forced smile. "I'm sure you can tell from my mother that I'm part Indian. I grew up learning both English and Gujarati in my house, and a lot of kids in school would make fun of my slight accent. So I forced out the most normal english accent I could over the years so no one would make fun of me."

"I get that," Trini says softly, squeezing Kim's hands in her own. "I sort of did the same thing. Except when I'm real emotional the Spanish always comes flying out." Kim laughs at the thought of a small(er) Trini yelling in Spanish at kids on the playground. Trini's just glad she can make Kim smile a little while reliving a time she probably would rather never think about again.

"That's kind of what happened to me," Kim nearly whispers, her voice filled with pain. "Amanda and her bitches made me so.. so  _ mad _ , that my accent just started slipping out. And while I knew Amanda was a lot of things, I didn't know one of those things was racist."

Trini can hear the pain in her voice as she continues, the sound nearly breaking her heart. Kim wipes a stray tear that Trini didn't even see off of her face. "She started calling me a terrorist bitch, got every single one of her friends to call me it, chanting it around me. They'd say it to me in the halls, pass me notes in class with really,  _ really _ awful drawings, and I just.. I don't know, shut down."

Trini wants to beat the shit out of Amanda even more now. Yeah, she got a good punch in, but oh boy did Trini want to put her in the ground. Taking a deep breath to calm her down, she watches Kim wipe another tear off of her face. "I know that kind of sounds like a stupid reason to just shut down and stop talking-"

"No," Trini cuts her off sternly. "Your supposed best friend and a bunch of fucks at school were sending you death threats and being xenophobic assholes just because you have an accent and a heritage that isn't 'fuck yeah America'. That's a justifiable trauma to me. And Jesus.. Kim I'm so fucking sorry that happened to you. God I don't.. I don't know what to say or do to make you feel better because that's actual bullshit what they did to you."

"You say and do the right things everyday," Kim says honestly, looking up at Trini. The sun has long since set, the moon being the only source of light in the room. And Trini can't help but notice how beautiful Kim looks against the moonlight, looking at her with soft eyes and a small smile on her lips.

"I just-" Trini pauses abruptly, running a hand through her hair to gather her thoughts. "I just wish I could make the pain go away, you know? Which I know is kind of dumb but.. yeah."

"You make it easier," Kim smiles. "You and the guys, you have no idea how much all of you mean to me. How amazed I am that I have you guys in my life. All because you were stubborn and passed me a note in Krispy Kreme."

"Hey, just because I'm stubborn doesn't mean I'm not awesome," Trini says defensively, Kim tipping her head back to laugh, the sound filling the room and Trini's head. The shorter girl can't believe this girl is her best friend, can't believe she's let her in like this and not her parents or Zack or anyone. Can't believe she can make her laugh when seconds ago she was close to tears.

Kim finally stops laughing, looking back at Trini with a content smile on her lips. Trini just smiles back, uses her grip on Kim's hands to pull her closer so she can put her arms around her neck, pulling the taller girl into the crook of her neck for a hug. She pointedly ignores the way she can feel Kim sigh against her neck, her lips barely brushing her skin.

"Thank you," Kim mutters against her neck, Trini running her nails up and down Kim's back softly to soothe her. The shorter girl just shakes her head, gently pressing her lips to Kim's temple. She doesn't want Kim to thank her for just being a decent human being and not judging her, so she tells her just that.

"I know that I just.." Kim trails off, pulling away from their embrace to look Trini in the eyes. "I'm just glad you're here," she finishes with a small smile, Trini matching it with her own and a small nod. "Now come and lay down, I'm needy."

Trini laughs at the pout on Kim's face as she opens her arms for Trini to fall into. She rolls her eyes playfully but does as the taller girl asks, wrapping her arms around Kim's waist and resting her head on Kim's chest. She can't help but think about how nice this feels, to fit perfectly in Kim's arms as the taller girl places a kiss to the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Trin," Kim yawns, curling herself around the shorter girl. Trini just pulls the covers up over them, smiling to herself as she presses closer to the short haired girl.

"Goodnight, Kim."

-

Trini wakes up to three things. One, she's not in her own bed, if the pink curtains are any indication, and she completely forgot that she fell asleep in Kim's bed. Two, the bed beside her is empty, which makes her frown because she's very cold and was looking forward to waking up beside Kim. And three, she smells something burning.

The burning smell is enough to make her sit up, her nose scrunched up in both confusion and disgust. Throwing the blankets off of her body, Trini makes her way out of Kim's room, only to see the taller girl in the kitchen with her nose scrunched adorably. Trini leans against the doorframe, her arms crossed in front of her chest, and watches with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Whatcha doing there, Kim?" She asks, her tone quizzical but playful simultaneously. Kim's head whips up, eyes wide when she sees Trini leaning so casually against her door frame, and Trini watches the girl's face flush with embarrassment.

"I was uh," Kim coughs awkwardly, trying to mask her embarrassment, "I was trying to cook you breakfast. You know, as a thank you for last night."

Trini can't help but think of the implications of those words, and how they would sound if last night had been something entirely different from Kim telling her about a traumatic experience. It's her turn to blush, definitely not from embarrassment, but quickly recovers with a quirked eyebrow.

"And what does that 'thank you' have to do with the burning smell in our apartment?" Trini asks, trying and ultimately failing to hide her amusement when Kim's eyes fall to the counter, the taller girl biting her lip nervously before lifting a piece of toast.

Or, what was left of said piece of toast.

Trini loses it at that point, using her position against the doorframe to hold herself up as she hunches over and grabs at her side, nearly in tears from how hard she's laughing. Kim groans and throws the piece of toast at Trini, who grabs her phone and opens snapchat.

"Guys, this is what breakfast looks like when Kim makes it," Trini tries to speak to the camera while she holds in her laughter, the camera focused on the almost entirely black piece of bread. "Like Kim, oh my god!"

"Fuck off!" Kim yells from the kitchen, both girls laughing way too hard as Trini ends the video and sends it to the snap group with the two of them, Billy, Zack, and Jason in it. Kim is hiding her face in her hands, clearly embarrassed, and Trini pouts before moving into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around Kim's waist.

"I'll help you cook, okay?" Trini offers, Kim nodding without taking her hands away from her face. Trini just grins, leaning up to plant a kiss on Kim's cheek before moving to the fridge. She doesn't notice how much deeper the blush on Kim's face gets after that while she searches the refrigerator for the ingredients she needs to make what she has in mind.

"Can I trust you with a knife?" Trini asks Kim teasingly as she holds out a green pepper and a yellow onion, the taller girl rolling her eyes as she takes them from her hands. "Only use half of the pepper, and just dice it up for me. The onion just chop up finely please and thank you," Trini tells her, and Kim smiles as she grabs a cutting board from the cupboard beside the sink. 

Trini runs to her room quickly, grabbing a small bluetooth speaker and bringing it with her into the kitchen, turning on a random playlist of hers as she grabs another cutting board to chop up the garlic and dice the tomato. Music begins to pour into the kitchen, Trini immediately recognizing the opening note to Besándote by Piso 21 and opens her mouth to sing without second thought.

" _ Dime si escuché, me llegó el rumor de que estás sola y yo también, yeah. Y yo lo noté, cuando cruzamos las miradas la noche se puso interesante, un poco ardiente _ ," Trini sings along, moving her hips along to the beat subconsciously. She's too busy singing and chopping to notice the sound of chopping behind her has stopped, Kim staring wide eyed at Trini as she sings and moves.

" _ Yo besándote. Pa' que no te sientas sola, quédate a mi lado ahora _ ," Trini continues singing as she pours her chopped vegetables into two bowls, moving across the kitchen to grab some eggs and milk from the fridge, mixing them together in a separate bowl. Kim snaps out of her stupor and pours her chopped vegetables into the bowl with Trini's garlic, trying to keep herself calm as Trini moves so fluidly around the kitchen.

" _ Dime si quieres conmigo, como yo quiero contigo, y si así lo quisimos, vamos a darle sentido _ ," Trini chuckles as she sings, vaguely thinking of how the lyrics to this song fit how she feels with Kim, how she wants to kiss Kim and stay by her side, as she begins to fry strips of tortillas, adding the pepper, onion, and garlic on top and cooking them quickly. "Kim can you hand me that bowl of eggs?"

Kim moves quickly, trying not to take too long in fear of ruining the meal Trini is making, the small Latina taking the bowl with a thank you as the song comes to an end. Kim sighs in relief, thankful she won't have to suffer watching Trini anymore, when a familiar intro plays into the room.

"No," Kim says flatly, Trini suppressing her smirk when she realizes why Kim is shouting no. She turns to the girl, not even looking as she adds the tomato to the pan and opens the fridge for some shredded cheddar cheese. Kim looks like she's going to die as Despacito plays into the kitchen, and Trini can't help but feel confident in the effect she has over Kim.

"I'll pause it," Trini says, pausing the music as she finishes cooking, smirking slightly before muttering, "for now." Kim doesn't hear the last part, nodding as she grabs some plates and silverware and bringing them to the table. As Trini turns the pan off, allowing the food to cool down, she smirks and presses play on her music again.

"No,  _ no _ ," Kim warns as Trini continues to smirk, moving her body slowly side to side as the beat begins. She can see Kim's face flushing, so she decides to cut her some slack by turning the music down to a lower volume and grabbing the food she cooked to bring to the table. Trini chuckles as the taller girl visibly sighs in relief, the shorter girl taking a moment to plate their breakfast and sit down.

"This is migas," Trini explains softly as she starts to eat, humming contently at the taste.

"Like the rapper group?" Kim questions with her brows scrunched together, her head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. Trini nearly chokes on the food in her mouth, hitting her chest to rid her throat of the tortilla and eggs so she can laugh freely without her throat scratching up.

"Oh my god  _ no _ , you idiot," Trini says through her laughter, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes as she takes a deep breath to calm down. "It's a Mexican breakfast dish, not a trio of men rapping about t-shirts."

Kim flushes slightly from embarrassment but laughs with Trini, the smaller girl's eyes twinkling with delight as the two of them eat breakfast to the sound of Spanish music pouring into the apartment. As Trini moves to grab some more migas, filling her plate with an excited glint in her eyes, Kim says softly, "I didn't even know you could cook."

"Some of us are useful," Trini winks at the taller girl, laughing at the playful glare Kim sends her. "I used to cook all the time with my parents.."

Trini doesn't notice the movement across the table until she feels Kim's hand on top of her own, the skin of her hand burning under Kim's touch. She looks up to see sad brown eyes staring into her own, a guilty look written on her face that makes Trini realize that Kim feels bad for making her think about her parents.

"Don't," Trini shakes her head, a small but comforting smile on her face as she does. "Just because they kicked me out doesn't mean I'm gonna resent them for the rest of my life. They gave me a lot, taught me a lot. I'm not gonna forget all of that just because they're assholes."

Kim's eyes shine with what Trini can only assume is pride, the corners of her lips quirking up as she squeezes Trini's hand beneath her own. Trini smiles back as she pulls away, the pair of them continuing to eat breakfast in comfortable silence.

-

February rolls around and Trini finds herself being dragged through the Westfield Century Mall by Jason, the boy nearly frantic as he searches store to store for something Trini doesn't have a single clue about. By the time they reach the fifth store, Trini has to grab the guy by his shoulders and turn him towards her.

"Jase, you're doing that thing where your eyes twitch," she says pointedly, Jason giving her a look as though to say 'am not' but Trini just rolls her eyes. "Come on, tell me what you're looking for so I can help you out."

Jason's eyes fall to the ground, suddenly much more interested in the material of his shoes than the girl standing in front of him. Trini sighs softly, giving him a squeeze on his shoulders for comfort. "It's.. it's stupid, don't worry about it," Jason mutters after a few moments, Trini rolling her eyes once again.

"If it was so stupid you wouldn't be freaking out this much about it," Trini says in a soft tone but also a stern one, letting Jason know that she's not taking his bullshit no matter how much she loves the oversized buffoon. Jason shuffles on his feet slightly again before releasing a long, nervous breath.

"I uh.. I'm trying to get something for Billy. I really wanna ask him out on Valentine's day," Jason confesses quietly, his eyes still trained on the ground so he doesn't notice the excited grin growing on Trini's face. The shorter girl catches him off guard when she throws her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She feels his own arms hesitantly wrap around her waist, no doubt completely confused by her reaction.

"God, it took you long enough," Trini mutters into his ear with a soft laugh, pulling back to smile up at the blue eyed boy. Jason is looking at her with his mouth hung open in confusion, and Trini just rolls her eyes as she punches him in the shoulder. "Zack, Kim, and I have been waiting for you two to get together for months now, Jase."

"What- I don't- really?" Jason stutters out, eyes wide with shock as Trini just nods at him, her smile almost splitting her own face when Jason starts to smile as well, obviously happy his friends accept him. "I actually was gonna ask for your permission to ask him out, since you're his best friend and all," Jason confesses with an awkward rub to the back of his neck.

"I've been rooting for the two of you to get together since I met you at Krispy Kreme," Trini admits with a smirk. "I was sure I'd die of old age before you two got your shit together."

"Do you.. do you think he likes me too?" Jason asks nervously and Trini can hear the self consciousness in his voice. She just nods, placing her hand on his shoulder once again. Jason heaves a sigh of relief, pulling Trini into another grateful hug before moving into the store once again. Trini chuckles as she follows behind him, helping him pick out the best Valentine's Day gift for Billy while a certain short haired brunette runs through her mind.

-

A laugh bubbles from Trini's chest out of her lips as she watches The Wedding Singer with Kim. "I promise you, one of these days I'll learn how to play the guitar just so I can sing 'Somebody Kill Me Please' for you guys on the guitar," Trini comments between laughs, Kim actually leaning on her for support from how hard she's laughing at the song being sung on the TV.

Trini and Kim had opted to stay in for Valentine's Day, not having anyone to spend the day with and both impatiently waiting for news on Cranscott (Zack had given Billy and Jason a ship name so he didn't have to waste his breath saying both of their names). Trini couldn't help but think that this would be a perfect Valentine's date, especially with Kim beside her.

The stupid box of chocolates Trini picked up on a whim sits beside the couch, Trini's fingers itching to grab it but not knowing if she should, if it would make things awkward between her and Kim if she introduces her feeling into the mix. Zack had reassured her hundreds of times that Kim is indeed into her, but she isn't so sure she believes it herself.

"I'm gonna get more champagne," Kim giggles, wobbling as she stands on her feet from how much the two of them have consumed. "You want anything? More champagne, coffee, that box of donuts you're hiding behind the pots?"

Trini gasps loudly, the alcohol in her system definitely not helping with her over dramatic flair as she stares wide eyed at Kim. "What box of donuts? I can't believe you would ever accuse me of such-" Kim cuts off Trini with a pointed look, holding the Krispy Kreme box that she pulled out from behind the pots. Trini looks between the box and the amused smirk on Kim's face before bursting into laughter, Kim nearly falling to the ground with how hard she's laughing.

"Fine, fine! Just bring the damn donuts!" Trini shouts, Kim smiling widely as she grabs the bottle of champagne along with the donuts. Trini takes the bottle from her, tilting it like a waiter would at a restaurant. "More sham-pag-en?" Trini asks with a Futurama reference, both of them managing to hold a straight face for all of two seconds before descending into fits of laughter once again.

After a few minutes of literal wheezing, the girls manage to calm down enough to breathe, smiling lazily at one another. "I'm glad I'm spending today with you," Kim mutters happily, her eyes drooped slightly from the alcohol. Trini bets she looks about the same.

"Me too," Trini smiles, and suddenly remembers the box of chocolates to her right. "I uh, actually wanted to say something to you, if that's cool." Kim nods, saying to Trini that she can tell her anything, and Trini takes a deep, sobering breath before continuing.

"Look I uh.. I've never been good with emotions and feelings and shit, but I know that.. I know that everything feels  _ right _ with you," Trini says, her voice shaking slightly as she refuses to look at Kim for her own sanity. "I've never.. I've never had to be someone I'm not with you, you know? It's something I've never really felt with.. with  _ anyone _ really, besides Billy."

Kim nods, opting not to say anything much to Trini's happiness. Trini leans over the side of the couch and grabs the box of chocolates, holding it in her lap. "I just.. I really like you, Kim. And if you don't feel the same, I'm not gonna make stuff weird between us, you know? You're my best friend, I'm not about to toss that aside because I wanna kiss you and stuff."

Trini hands Kim the box of chocolates, Kim taking them without a word. "They're Reese's since I know they're your favorite and so you don't have to worry about eating a toothpaste flavored chocolate," Trini chuckles quietly, finally taking a chance to look at Kim. The taller girl is just staring at her with an unreadable expression, one that sends a wave of anxiety through Trini's body because she has no idea what the other girl is thinking and that terrifies her.

Kim leans forward, setting the box of chocolates on the coffee table and turning towards Trini again. Trini has half a mind to apologize, stand up and pretend nothing ever happened, but Kim smiles. She smiles that stupid smile that's only reserved for Trini and tilts her head to the side as she stares at the shorter girl.

"I wanna kiss you and stuff, too," Kim says with a teasing smile, Trini groaning into her hands at how stupid she must've sounded saying that. But then Kim is pulling her hands away from her face, Kim is smiling that stupid smile at her, Kim is leaning forward-

And Kimberly Hart is kissing Trinity Gomez.

And Trinity Gomez is kissing back.

Kim pulls back ever so slowly, her lips mere centimeters away from Trini's own as she smiles, looking the girl in the eyes again and she just looks so light and happy that Trini can't resist leaning back in and kissing Kim again. It lasts longer this time, nothing too far past publically appropriate but enough to physically take the oxygen from Trini's lungs.

"What is this gonna be?" Trini finds herself asking as she breathes in the air that leaves Kim's lungs, their foreheads pressed tightly against each other. She wants to make sure that she and Kim are on the same page for both of their sakes, so that both of them are one hundred percent comfortable with this.

"Um.. honestly?" Kim says, a playful look on her face as she pretends to think. "I kinda wanna be the girl that's yours." The response is so dorky, so  _ Kim _ , that Trini finds herself laughing, Kim laughing along with her as they lean into each other for support. Trini sighs out her final laugh, placing a quick kiss to Kim's forehead, her nose, then her lips.

"I'm perfectly okay with that," Trini smiles, and she can't believe how happy she feels in this moment. In her and Kim's apartment, watching shitty romcoms and drinking cheap champagne and eating hidden donuts and kissing Kimberly Hart.

-

**Azzhole: HOW IS OPERATION CRANSCOTT GOING HAS THE SHIP LEFT THE HARBOR????**

**Azzhole: I NEED DETAILS**

**Tiny T: i'm not sure about cranscott**

**Tiny T: but trimberly is setting sail**

**Princess: Props to me for the ship name**

**Azzhole: MY SHIPS**

**Azzhole: also nice try hart i trademarked trimberly weeks ago**

**Tiny T: sorry babe, he did**

**Clifford: wAIT WHAT**

**Clifford: BABE??**

**Lil Bill: Don't let him fool you, I kissed him first :D**

**Tiny T: GO BEST FRIEND THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND**

-

The next morning Trini wakes up wrapped up in Kim's arms, in Kim's bed, in Kim's room. Her head throbs slightly from the alcohol they drank, but Trini couldn't forget a second of last night no matter how much alcohol she drank. She just hopes that her world doesn't take a turn and everything comes crashing down because Kim might have forgotten what happened.

Her rapidly increasing heartbeat or breathing rate must have woken Kim, because the girl is lifting her head so she can look down at Trini. "Hey, are you okay?" Kim asks, and Trini nods because she doesn't want to seem like she's a panicking gay mess even though that's exactly what she is.

Kim nudges her shoulder so that Trini looks back at the taller girl, her short hair tousled from sleep and her eyes tired but she still looks so damn beautiful to Trini. Kim smiles, leans down and presses her lips to Trini's, and Trini feels all of the tension and fear leave her body as she kisses back.

"Stop worrying so much," Kim chuckles, and Trini really hates that Kim can read her like a damn book. Kim just smiles and rolls out of bed, moving to the bathroom and looking back at Trini when she's in the doorway. Trini pretends like she wasn't staring at Kim's ass under that sleep shirt as she walked away but judging by the smirk on Kim's face, she noticed. "Well come on, I'm not kissing you anymore 'til we brush our teeth."

And yeah, Trini's nervous about how their relationship could change everything they've built, their friendships with the guys, how they live together, but she thinks she can brave it for the girl in front of her.

-

Trini wakes up with a squint to her eyes, the light too bright in her eyes as it filters in through her drapes. She's met with an unexpected wave of disappointment when she notices she's alone, not finding the warm body she fell asleep next to beside her, but the sound of singing reaches her ears fast enough to pique her interest. Throwing the covers over her legs, she walks into the kitchen and nearly stops dead in her tracks.

Sure, Trini has known from the first moment that Kim spoke to her that the taller girl's voice is beautiful. But watching her now, move around the kitchen with a sense of blissful freedom, the soft heaviness of her voice filling the air around them, Trini is absolutely blown away.

As if this girl didn't have her heart already.

Trini leans against her door frame and just watches, recognizing the tune of the song as one that Kim listens to often but not knowing the name. Something about vows, if she remembers correctly. Lost in her thoughts about how beautiful Kim's voice sounds, she's snapped back to reality when Kim turns towards her and locks eyes with the shorter girl, her eyes widening in shock and most likely panic.

Trini smiles sheepishly when she realizes she's been caught listening, but her smile is replaced with a look of concern when she sees how stiff Kim's body is. Moving closer to the taller girl with slow steps, Trini places a comforting hand against her forearm, looking Kim directly in the eyes before speaking.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I interrupted something private. You know I don't want to cross any boundaries you have," Trini says, her voice filled with nothing but honesty. Kim smiles softly, a small blush still on her cheeks as she shakes her head. She still doesn't speak, not that it bothers Trini at all, but she leans down and places a small peck to the smaller girl's lips.

"I will never get used to that," Trini whispers into the air between them, Kim giggling in response before gesturing for Trini to sit down at the table so they can eat breakfast. Trini sits immediately, her hands clasped together on the table top when two incredibly important thoughts run through her brain.

One: did Kim burn the breakfast? Because after their last encounter with the toaster, Trini has been adamant about not letting Kim into the kitchen again.

Two: did Kim know what day it is? Because last time Trini checked, only two people know what today is, and Kim isn't one of them.

Shaking her head quickly, Trini looks up at Kim who’s still gathering plates and forks from the kitchen. Trini knows Kim wouldn't snoop on her, would much rather prefer to ask the smaller girl if she has a question about her than trying to pry into her life without permission. The shorter girl smiles as Kim makes her way to the table, a loud laugh leaving her lips when she sees a plate piled high with toaster waffles.

"God, you're the best, Kim," Trini manages between her laughs, smiling gratefully up at the taller girl while Kim sits in the chair across from her. Kim, for her part, just gives Trini a cheeky smile before giving her a plate of waffles and the bottle of syrup. The two of them eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, exchanging playful glances and playing footsies under the table.

A few beats of silence later, Kim swallows her food and taps Trini's foot with her own, causing the shorter girl to look up at her. "I'm sorry I kind of just.. shut down for the last twenty minutes," Kim says apologetically, causing Trini to tilt her head to the side in confusion. Trini watches as Kim lets out a huff of air, running her fingers through her hair, before she continues.

"I haven't.. no one's heard me sing in a very long time. I didn't think I was even that good, you know? Like, it's not that I don't want you to hear me sing, I just got panicked when you did," Kim explains, and Trini nods because she understands where Kim is coming from.

"Kim, just because you're getting more comfortable talking with me doesn't mean you have to all the time," Trini says honestly, earning a look of surprise from the taller girl. "I don't expect you to push yourself past your limits just to please me. Just let me know if you don't feel like talking or if you're feeling anxious and talking is coming a little too hard to you and I'll be completely respectful of your wishes."

Trini almost thinks she said that wrong thing when she sees the tears well up in Kim's eyes, but the taller girl shakes her head with a small smile before leaning across the small table to place a tender kiss full of emotion on Trini's lips.

"Thank you," Kim mutters against her lips, pecking them one last time before leaning back in her seat with a wide smile spreading across her face, Trini smiling just as hard back at her as they finish their breakfast.

-

Trini makes her way back to her and Kim's shared apartment later that day after her class finishes, throwing her keys into their little bowl on the counter and frowning when she notices Kim's keys are gone. Unless she misread the taller girl's schedule, Kim should be home from class by now. Letting out a hum of thought, she drops her backpack down against her bed before pulling her phone out of her back pocket, opening the group chat with her best friends.

**Tiny T: yo, where's my girlfriend**

**Princess: Sorry baby, had some running around to do**

**Lil Bill: Trini! You should come over to my apartment!**

Trini chuckles to herself as she reads Billy's text, his excitement palpable even through a phone screen. She assumes that whatever Billy is so excited about has to pertain to what day it is, since he's the only other person that knows the significance of today, so she fires back a quick text message that she'll head over after she changes her clothes.

Throwing on a black bra under a loose maroon jacket, some yoga pants, and (after looking at her hair in the mirror) a black baseball cap, she makes sure she has everything she needs before heading out, walking down the quickly darkening streets of campus towards Billy's apartment. The weather is absolutely perfect for early March, still warm but with just enough chill for Trini to not feel like she's dying in flannels. As much as she loves summer, the cooler months of the year have always been her favorites for that reason.

She makes it to Billy's apartment relatively quickly, knocking a few times on the door before waiting patiently for her best friend to open the door. When she doesn't receive an answer, her eyebrows crinkle together in confusion as she knocks again, her confusion growing stronger as each second passes without answer.

Curiously, she grabs for the door handle, surprised to find it unlocked. Slowly opening the door, she peaks her head inside the apartment. "Hello?" She asks, finding nothing but darkness and silence on the other side of the door. Despite the odd sense of anxiety filling her veins, she steps inside, and is immediately taken aback by the lights turning on over her head and the sounds of party horns blaring around her.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!" Four voices yell, Trini finally looking past her shock and confusion to see her three best friends and her girlfriend staring at her with excited smiles on their faces. Despite the weird feeling settling in her stomach that people actually know and actually care about her birthday, Trini smiles at the sight of the most important people in her life staring back at her with so much love in their eyes.

Instead of letting them know how much this means to her, she settles with, "You guys know I know Tai Chi, right? If I had felt threatened I could've kicked all of your asses."

Zack lets out a loud guffaw of laughter, stepping in front of Jason to wrap his arms tightly around Trini's shoulders. "Aww, Crazy Girl loves it," Zack teases, seeing right through Trini's tough girl facade. Trini rolls her eyes playfully before wrapping her arms around Zack's waist, burying her face contently against his chest.

"Group hug!" Jason yells, slamming into Trini's side, Billy on her opposite side while Kim wraps herself around Trini's back. Trini laughs loudly at the aggressive act of affection, knowing that it's just like her best friends to be this extra in showing their love for her, but it doesn't stop her heart from feeling so light and free.

Kim presses a kiss to the back of Trini's head before shouting, "Alright, alright, hands off my girlfriend!" Zack rolls his eyes before pecking Kim on the forehead and walking into the kitchen. Jason smiles and puts his hand out for Billy to take, the two of them walking to the living room to sit on the couch together. Once everyone besides Kim has dispersed, Trini quickly turns around in the taller girl's arms.

"Hey," Trini smiles up at Kim. The taller girl chuckles at the bright look in her eyes, shaking her head amusedly before leaning down and capturing Trini's lips in a slow, passionate kiss.

"Hey! Save the birthday sex for back at your place, please!"Jason shouts with a laugh from the couch, earning a middle finger from both Kim and Trini without the girls separating their lips. The only thing that manages to break them apart is an incredibly loud pop from the kitchen, followed by a whoop from Zack.

"Who gave that buffoon alcohol?" Trini yells playfully as she turns towards the kitchen, turning to see Zack smiling a wickedly mischievous smile at her. A bottle of cheap champagne is in his hand, bubbles pouring out of the top and into the sink.

"You just turned 21, Crazy Girl!" Zack shouts encouragingly. "And you're the baby of the group, which means we can all go be belligerent in public!"

"But not tonight of course," Billy cuts in reassuringly, standing up to make his way in front of Trini. "I know you wanted to keep your birthday a secret because it's not your favorite, but I figured that since we're all your best friends, except Kimberly Hart of course because she's your girlfriend, you would want to spend your birthday with us and we could make it the best birthday ever for you."

Trini's heart is so full when Billy finishes his little ramble, opening her arms as a silent ask for permission to hug him. Billy smiles widely down at her, wrapping his arms quickly around her shoulders as hers pull tightly around his waist.

"You always know what's best for me, Lil Bill," Trini hums against his shoulder, causing Billy's smile to grow as he steps back and claps his hands together excitedly. Zack quickly takes his place, handing Kim and Trini both plastic champagne glasses filled to the brim with cheap alcohol.

"To Trini finally reaching legality!" Zack shouts, Jason handing Billy a glass as the all raise them into the air.

"To Zack using a big word!" Kim shouts immediately after him, earning surprised yells from everyone in the room because who thought that Kim could roast after all this time? Certainly not Trini. The shorter girl turns to her girlfriend with excited surprise, kissing her on the lips as a reward for her savagery, before the five of them make it their goal to get shitface drunk before midnight.

Five shots for each of them and two bottle of champagne split between the five of them later, Zack is passed out on the couch with an arm and a leg hanging off the side of the furniture, Jason and Billy are passed out in their bed, and Trini and Kim are drunkenly stumbling their way across campus, giggling at anything and everything that happens around them.

"I'm so glad I met you," Kim hums into the chilly night as they approach their apartment building, Trini stopping her trek to turn to her inebriated girlfriend. She must look curious or confused or something, because Kim smiles and laughs before grabbing Trini's hand and pulling her into their apartment building, the pair barely making it to the elevator without stumbling and giggling.

They nearly fall into their apartment, too busy laughing at absolutely nothing to stand up straight. Kim is the first to calm down, dragging Trini by the hand to the taller girl's room and pulling the two of them so they both fall haphazardly into the bed. They lay there for a while, just smiling at each other while their unfocused eyes trace across each other's faces.

"What did you mean earlier? When you said you're glad you met me?" Trini asks, her slurs kept down to a minimum to show Kim that she's one hundred percent serious about the question. Kim lets loose a quick bark of laughter before turning towards the shorter girl, a glint of mirth in her eyes.

"You mean, besides the fact that you're super hot and you're my girlfriend?" Kim giggles out, earning a halfhearted eye roll from Trini that has absolutely no effect when she can't stop smiling and blushing at Kim's blunt honesty. Kim just smiles at her, so softly and so full of meaning that Trini can't help it when her jaw drops slightly at the sight.

"Because you never push me and you always make me feel comfortable and look! I'm actually talking! I didn't talk for years before I met you! You made me feel safe and comfortable and you're helping me work on myself and I'm just so so glad I met you," Kim manages to get out with a few slurs, missing the face splitting grin on Trini's face while she stares up at the ceiling dramatically.

Trini shakes her head, smile still prevalent on her face, before surging forward and capturing Kim's lips with her own as best as she can despite the grin on her face. Kim laughs into the kiss, it's an absolute mess, yet to them it's absolutely perfect.

-

The group of five find themselves cramped into Jason's truck once more, headed down the road towards their hometown once again. Trini had been adamant about staying behind this time around, saying there was no point in going home for Easter when she had no home to go to. Two hours later she was on the phone with Candace Cranston who was telling her over and over that she always has a home with her and that she would not be spending a holiday alone if she had anything to say about it.

Trini will never admit it, but she cried that night. Kim had thought something was seriously wrong, holding Trini tight and running her hand through Trini's unbraided hair quietly to provide as much support as she could until Trini was ready to talk. But Trini, when she had finished crying, smiled up at Kim and placed a small kiss to her lips, saying she was okay and that she needed to start packing.

So here they are again, driving down the road with Angel Grove on the horizon, Call Me Maybe blasting through the speakers, and this time there's five dorks singing at the top of their lungs.

Trini can't help but smile proudly at Kim as she sings, knowing how much she's gone through over the last year. The taller girl is still working on talking to people that aren't Trini or their three best friends, but she's been more and more talkative with the boys than ever before. She and Billy could talk for hours about the most random topics with the most passionate intensity that Trini has ever had the pleasure of witnessing, and then she could immediately join Zack on the 'roasting Jason' train without skipping a beat.

Zack and Trini constantly talk about how proud they are of her out of Kim's earshot, not wanting her to feel belittled or anything by their happiness towards her improvement.

"Who am I dropping off first?" Jason asks from the driver's seat, turning down the radio to a dull volume so that they can all hear each other talk. Zack opens his mouth to say something, but Kim puts her hand over his mouth quickly.

"Could we.. I mean, don't think you guys have to or anything," Kim rambles nervously. Trini places a comforting hand on the bare skin of Kim's thigh, squeezing lightly to show her that she has her support. Kim flashes her a small but thankful smile before continuing. "I was wondering if you guys could all come with me to my parents for a minute? I would just uh.. I would love for you guys to be there with me when I talk to my parents for the first time in almost four years.."

Billy turns in his seat to face Kim, who's sitting directly behind him, before putting his hand up into the air, a silent invitation for Kim to grab his hand and hold it that she takes immediately. "We will always support you, Kimberly Hart," Billy says with such conviction that even Trini feels it in her chest. Judging by the looks on Zack's and Jason's faces, they felt it too.

"Thank you, Billy," Kim smiles through the tears in her eyes as she gives him her gratitude, Billy smiling back at her before turning in his seat to face the front once again. Trini leans up and presses a quick kiss to Kim's cheek, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Of course we'll be there, right guys?" Trini asks almost rhetorically, since the nods of three boys heads was the most obvious response.

"Don't forget you have to come out to them, too," Zack points out, and Kim laughs lightly before putting her arm around Trini's shoulders, the shorter girl letting herself be pulled closer. 

"I'm more worried to talk to them than I am to tell them I'm dating Trini. I mean, they already love her," Kim shrugs, and Trini's face burns hot at the embarrassment. Zack laughs loudly at the burning red of her face before throwing himself against Trini's side, wrapping his arms awkwardly around her waist.

"We all love you, Crazy Girl!" He says as he laughs, leaning in close to her ear before whispering, "Some more than others."

Trini punches him in the chest when he laughs at the blush on her cheeks again.

Jason's shoulders shake as he continues to drive, his smile visible from Trini's spot in the middle of the back seat. "You wanna get punched too, homeboy?" Trini asks with a level of playfulness, and Jason lets out an audible laugh as he puts his hands in the air in surrender before quickly putting them back on the wheel.   
  
They make it to Kim's relatively quickly after that, Billy taking control of the radio for the remaining ten minutes of the drive to play some ambient songs by Oh Wonder so that they could all relax before their encounter with the Hart's.   
  
Trini can feel Kim becoming more and more tense the closer they get to her house, nervously rubbing her palms against her leg and tapping her foot anxiously. Trini frowns at the obvious nerves, and quickly takes Kim's constantly moving hand into her own. Kim's eyes look down at her frantically, and Trini can tell she just broke her out of a downward spiral of thoughts.   
  
"Hey, it's gonna be okay, yeah?" Trini says quietly, so only they can hear over the music. Kim swallows thickly but doesn't nod or shake her head, so Trini continues. "Your parents love you so much, and they're never going to hate you for not talking to them. I've seen how they are with you firsthand. They're so understanding and willing to do anything for you to feel comfortable. Hell, they moved me in with you so you would be comfortable."   
  
"And look how that turned out," Kim laughs lightly, Trini watching as some of the nerves leave her body and her shoulders relax slightly. The taller girl lets out a long, shaky breath before nodding, looking down at Trini again. "You're right. You always are, I'm just.."   
  
"It's okay to be scared," Trini squeezes their joined hands to convey her honesty. "But don't let that fear hold you back or make you think the situation will play out a hundred times worse than it actually will, yeah?"   
  
"Yeah.. yeah okay," Kim smiles slightly, Trini mimicking the smile as she leans up and places a slow kiss to Kim's lips.   
  
".. Jason they're making out again."   
  
"No we're not!"   
  
-   
  
Jason's truck rumbles to a stop in front of the Hart household, the engine shutting off and leaving the five friends in an empty silence. Jason and Zack hop out first, moving to the back to grab Zack's and Kim's bags while Billy makes his way towards the front door, leaving Trini and an incredibly anxious Kim in the back of the truck.   
  
"Come on, baby. I've got you," Trini mutters softly, placing a lingering kiss to Kim's cheek before crawling out of the back seat and bringing Kim with her by their joined hands. Trini moves to take her hand from Kim's grip to help Zack, but the taller girl holds Trini's hand in a vice grip before she can even get a centimeter away. Trini's brows furrow as she turns to face Kim, her chest growing tighter at the look of fear in Kim's eyes.   
  
"Don't let go," Kim all but whispers, and Trini takes a second to swallow down her worries about the girl before nodding, squeezing their joined hands in reassurance before taking Kim towards the front door where Billy's standing. Billy smiles supportively before rapping his knuckles against the front door in a meticulous pattern.   
  
The door is pulled open by Mr. Hart, who smiles at the sight of the five friends standing on his doorstep. "Honey! Kimberly and her friends are home!" He shouts into the house before stepping aside and letting everyone inside. Trini smiles as Mr. Hart wraps his arms around Kim and pulls her into a tight hug, the taller girl melting into her father's embrace.   
  
"Ah yes! My favorite group of misfits!" Mrs. Hart yells as she walks into the entryway, smiling as she and Mr. Hart make their rounds to hug all of the college students in their house. As the parents step back, Kim quickly makes her way back beside Trini, the shorter girl grabbing her hand supportively as Billy flanks her side and Jason and Zack stand beside Kim opposite of Trini and Billy.   
  
Mrs. Hart sees how the five friends are standing, like they're defending something, and her brows furrow curiously. "Kids? Are you alright?" She asks softly, and Mr. Hart catches her tone and turns around again as well.   
  
Trini squeezes Kim's hand supportively as the taller girl takes a deep, shaky breath, her eyes staying closed for all of five seconds before opening them and looking up at her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Hart shared worried glances, Mrs. Hart's mouth opening to say something when-   
  
"Uh.. h-hi, mom and dad."   
  
Trini can pinpoint the exact moment Mr. and Mrs. Hart feel their world shift after hearing their daughter's voice for the first time in almost four years, the spark of light that flashes across their eyes before tears fill them, the two of them rushing towards Kim and wrapping their arms around her tightly. Trini can hear them saying things to her, definitely not in English, and she and her three best friends take a step back to let the family enjoy their moment together.   
  
"I know I've said this before, but I'm really glad she has you," Zack whispers quietly into Trini's ear. The shorter girl smiles, nods at his words without looking away from her girlfriend, and leans against Zack's side.   
  
"I'm really glad I have all of you," Trini mutters with a smile, looking up at the taller boys surrounding her with happy smiles on their faces before Jason initiates a group hug of their own away from the Hart family's.   
  
"Hey, there's enough room in this group hug for you guys too!" Mr. Hart yells with happy laughter, and the four friends exchange excited glances before rushing around Kim and her family, Billy keeping a small amount of space behind Trini so that he doesn't overload his senses with too much touching.   
  
"There's uh.. one other thing," Kim says quietly, all of the people surrounding her stepping back to give her space and fresh air to breathe. Before Trini realizes what she's doing, Kim grabs for the shorter girl's hand with a slow but precise movement, holding their hands together tightly before looking at her parents. "Trini and I are uh.. we're.. together."   
  
Mr. and Mrs. Hart exchange a glance that Trini can't interpret fast enough, before looking at the two girls with confused glances. Trini's about to assume the worst, because lord knows how her own family took her coming out, when Mrs. Hart says, "We thought you already were?"   
  
It's silent in the foyer for all of two seconds before Zack bursts into laughter, Jason right behind him. Trini flushes with embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly but laughing along with them nonetheless because of the stark difference between Kim's parents and her own. Kim smiles despite the mortified blush on her face and her parents just laugh as well, ushering them towards the kitchen for some much needed food.   
  
-   
  
**Lil Bill: Hey guys! Can you all stop by my house as soon as possible? I have something I want to give you guys!** ****  
  
Trini reads the text with a furrowed brow, a little curious about what Billy is being secretive about. Normally, the boy will tell you everything you need over a text message, so the hidden nature of his gift is curious.   
  
"Who texted the chat?" Kim asks from behind Trini, tiredness evident in her voice as she rolls over and wraps her arm around Trini's waist. The shorter girl smiles slightly before putting her phone down, turning around in Kim's embrace and pecking her girlfriend on the lips slightly.   
  
"Billy," Trini says quietly, placing another kiss against the tip of Kim's nose and then her forehead. "He wants us to come over ASAP, wants to give us something." Kim hums against Trini's neck where her head is buried, groaning as she separates herself from Trini and the shorter girl pouts at the lack of warmth.   
  
"Don't you dare give me that pout, Trini Gomez," Kim points at her sternly, but Trini refuses to give up. "Billy needs us to go to his house! I will not leave my favorite person hanging because you're cold."   
  
"Hey! Billy's only allowed to be mine and Jason's favorite person!" Trini sits up abruptly, arguing with Kim playfully over their tallest friend as they put on normal clothes and make their way out of the Hart household.   
  
"Fine, but I'm only giving up because you're my favorite person," Kim smiles and places a kiss to the top of Trini's head before grabbing the shorter girl's hand and intertwining their fingers. Trini, for her part, rolls her eyes playfully to disguise the warmth that spreads through her chest at Kim's words.   
  
"God that's so gay," she settles with, earning a loud, over-dramatic gasp from her girlfriend. Trini turns to see Kim waving her hand in the air with a sort of passive flourish before muttering, "That's biphobic."   
  
Trini tilts her head back, jubilant laughter tumbling from her lips as she leans against her girlfriend for support, the pair struggling to walk down the street towards Billy's house without either laughing at one another or pausing to kiss each other. It takes them forever, but they make it eventually, knocking softly on Billy's front door.   
  
"Ay! We all made it at the same time!" Trini hears Zack shout from behind her, turning to see the taller boy clad in black with a wide smile on his face. He wraps his arms around Kim and Trini's shoulders holding them close to him in a weird side hug on both sides.   
  
"Um, no we didn't? Where's Jason?" Trini asks curiously, staring at the boy like he's an idiot because usually, he is.   
  
"With him and Billy dating, you really think he isn't already here?" Zack asks with a knowing tilt of his head, and Trini pauses for a moment before humming in agreement because yeah, of course he would be here. She was just with Kim, so it makes sense for Jason to already be here.   
  
The door flings open to reveal Billy with a wide smile on his face, clapping when he sees his best friends on the other side of the door. Jason is stood behind him with his usual dad friend smile, and Billy quickly brings them inside and down to his little workshop in the basement.   
  
"Okay so I know we're already best friends and that's not going to change any time soon, but I wanted to give all of us something to solidify that," Billy begins explaining as the others sit down on his couch and various stools strewn around the basement.   
  
"You mean like a friendship bracelet?" Zack asks sarcastically, earning a hard slap on the shoulder from Trini. The taller boy shouts in surprise before rubbing his now tender skin, sticking his tongue out at the shorter girl like a child.   
  
"Even better!" Billy claps excitedly, moving to his counter and moving some things around. Trini watches curiously as he grabs four very familiar stones and tosses them to his friends; Zack with the black fluorite stone, Jason with the ruby stone, Kim with the rose quartz stone, Trini with the apatite stone, and Billy keeping the sapphire one for himself.   
  
"I found these in the place I met Trini, when I blew up the mountain under her," Billy explains as they all look at their new gem coin things curiously. "I figured it was fate that they're all of our favorite colors, so I wanted to give them to you! Now we all have something that binds us together!"   
  
Trini can't help but smile at Billy's words as she looks down at her coin, holding it up into the light to look through the gem with child-like curiosity. "Thanks, Lil Bill. You're the best," she smiles up at him, the boy clapping excitedly at the prospect of his friends liking his gift. The rest of her friends echo her thanks, and they end up spending the rest of the night hollering country songs with Billy in his basement.

-

Trini wakes up the next morning by Kim’s side to the incessant buzzing of her phone. Kim, for her part, groans and buried her face further into the back of Trini’s neck, grumbling, “It’s too early for group chat shenanigans.”

Trini lets out a quiet chuckle at her girlfriend’s words, blindly reaching for her phone on Kim’s bedside table. She flinches at the brightness of her screen, unlocking her phone through squinted eyes and attempting to read the messages. When she finally makes out the words, her eyes widen, brightness be damned.

“Kim, look at this,” Trini sits up slightly, ignoring the groan of displeasure from the taller girl to shove her phone in Kim’s face. Kim reads the messages slowly, tiredness leaving her face after each passing second.

**Azzhole: GUYS**

**Azzhole: GUYS WAKE UP**

**Azzhole: YOURE NEVER GONNA BELIEVE THIS**

**Azzhole: I JUMPED OVER A HOUSE**

**Author's Note:**

> as always, follow me on twitter @ tigermochaeyu for quality kpop girlgroup yelling


End file.
